


An Intriguing Mystery

by Maethoriel_Artemis



Series: Impossible Girl Saga [1]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Mystery, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:08:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 42,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24555193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maethoriel_Artemis/pseuds/Maethoriel_Artemis
Summary: Jenna Smith, a seemingly ordinary girl is given the adventure of a lifetime when the Doctor saves her. However, it quickly becomes apparent that there is a bit of a mystery surrounding the violet eyed young woman. One the Doctor couldn’t wait to solve.
Relationships: 9th Doctor/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Impossible Girl Saga [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2119362
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	1. Prologue

“Naiyah!” the Warrior shouted as he ran through war-torn Arcadia, desperately looking for the Time Lady.

“Doctor…” he heard a voice faintly call. He followed it only to stop horrified seeing his best friend lying there, battered and bloodied.

“Naiyah!” the Warrior exclaimed rushing over to her, the Time Lady crying out in pain as he took her in his arms.

“Y-you came back…” Naiyah whispered.

The Warrior nodded “Yeah I did. I came back for you”, he said. His face turned into one of worry when she coughed blood. “How many…?”

“None”, Niayah answered, fighting to keep her eyes open. She was just so tired.

“Stay with me, Niayah”, the Warrior urged “I’m going to save you”. There was no way he was going to let her die now. No way! He came back to save her and that’s what he was going to do.

“Don’t”, Naiyah said, confusing the Warrior. Why didn’t she want him to save her.

“Naiyah…” he started when she cut in with

“I don’t want you to save me”

“You saved me so many times”, the Warrior said, trying to hold back the tears “let me save you just this once”.

“You can’t. This is it for me”, Naiyah told him “end of my story”. The look in her eyes told him that she’d had a ‘feeling’ about this moment. She _knew_ that she was going to die here and now.

“I can’t go on without you”, the Warrior admitted.

“Yes you can” Naiyah reached up, touching his face “just promise me something”.

“Anything”, the Warrior vowed.

“Never be cruel or cowardly. Never give up, never give in. Always be the Doctor _never_ the Warrior”, Naiyah said.

The Warrior nodded “I promise”

Naiyah gave him a small smile before she removed her locket with shaking hands “take it”, she said “please”. The Warrior took the locket and carefully put it in his pocket. “I love you”, she murmured before her eyes fluttered shut.

“I love you too”, the Warrior said quietly, tears rolling down his face. He held the Time Lady as he cried, mourning her. _No more…_ he thought. She was going to be the last casualty of this war.


	2. Jenna

Jenna hummed under her breath as she sketched away under her favourite tree. She’d had unusual amounts of inspiration lately which she was rather happy about because she’d been hitting a bit of a lull with her drawings creativity wise. The wind picked up, forcing her to quickly close the sketchbook to avoid losing any pages. Then the strangest thing happened, a red fez dropped down by her feet. “Well, that’s a first”, she remarked.

“Oh, sorry”, a floppy haired male in a suit and tie said, running up to her “damn thing got away from me”.

“That’s ok”, Jenna said. The man, the 11th Doctor, scooped up the fez and plopped it on his head. 

“What do you think?” he asked “cool, right?”

Jenna shrugged “I suppose so?” she said, in more coming out like a question than a statement “I’m not that big on head wear. But the you rock the bow tie though”.

The Doctor adjusted the bowtie, pleased “thanks”, he said “anyway, I best be off. Sorry to disturb you”.

“No worries”, Jenna said “enjoy the rest of your day”.

“You as well”, the Doctor countered and wandered off. Jenna opened up her sketchbook and continued with her drawing. The Time Lord stopped, glancing back at the brunette. He wished he could tell her what was to come but he couldn’t. What was going to happen both good and bad, she needed to experience it without any comfort from him. He turned and walked away hands in pockets.

It was about an hour or so later when Jenna packed up her stuff and headed home. “Excuse me, miss!” a voice called behind her. She stopped and turned to the owner of the voice “I was wondering if you’d seen….” the 5th Doctor trailed off, staring at those violet eyes of hers. They were just like his best friend’s. His twin hearts panged, he missed her a lot. He really wished that she’d stayed with him in his TARDIS ship but after helping him out of the situation he’d landed himself in on Gallifrey, she had wanted to explore the stars a bit on her own. And he never had the hearts to make her stay.

“If I’d seen what?” Jenna asked.

“A robot”, the 5th Doctor replied, distracted.

Jenna shook her head “Nope sorry”, she said “but I wish you good luck in your search”.

“Thanks”, the Doctor said. Jenna adjusted the strap of her bag and continued on her way home, not really thinking any more about the man with the celery on his jacket.

\------------

Rose wandered around Henricks putting clothes in their respective places, completely bored out of her mind. Suddenly a pair of hands covered her eyes. “Guess who?” Jenna sing songed in her ear.

“I dunno…is it…my best friend?” Rose guessed.

“Got it in one!” Jenna cheered moving her hands away from Rose’s eyes.

“Not that I’m glad to see you but what are you doing here?” the blonde asked “mum driving you crazy?”

“Yeah…just a bit”, Jenna admitted “I love Jackie but there’s only so much nattering about Soap Opera’s I can take”.

Rose laughed “Well, you’re more than welcome you help me here”, she said “though I wouldn’t blame you if you run out of shop screaming about the boredom”.

Jenna slung an arm around her shoulders “Now that is impossible. I can never be bored with my bestie being here”, she said. The pair worked together, chattering occasionally. For the first time that day, Rose genuinely smiled. She could always count on her best friend to cheer her up.

When they headed to the doors with the rest of the staff, Rose was stopped by one of the guards holding a plastic wallet. “Take this to Wilson”, he said. Rose sighed, she really didn’t want to go done to the basement.

“I’ll do it”, Jenna offered.

“You sure Jen?” Rose asked.

“Yeah”, Jenna replied taking the wallet from the guard “let Jackie know I’ll be back a bit later”. She didn’t wait for a response before she headed to the lift at the back of the shop.

She rode it down to the basement where she found a door marked with Wilson’s name. She knocked on it, calling for the man’s name. But she got no response. She tried again and still nothing. Jenna was seriously debating on attempting to pick the lock with a bobby pin when she heard a scream. The young woman dropped the plastic wallet and rushed toward the sound.

She stopped short seeing a pair of overall clad legs behind some boxes. “Please be a mannequin”, she prayed as she slowly inched forward. Jenna’s heart plummeted when she saw that it wasn’t a dummy but a person. “Oh…Wilson”, she breathed.

Suddenly there was a loud bang behind her making her jump out of her skin. She stood up and spun around. The door she'd come through was closed! Jenna ran over to it and tried the handle. It was locked. “Seriously?” She grumbled. Then there was a small sound making the young woman turn sound. “Hello?” She said. Jenna didn't get answer, no big surprise there. But what she did get was one of the shop dummies stepping out of an alcove. _What the hell?_ She thought as a second one joined the first, both slowly ambling toward her. “Ok is someone having a laugh because this isn't funny”, Jenna said skirting along the wall to get around the two dummies.

She darted over to a side door and tugged at the handle. That one was locked too! Jenna wheeled around, eyes widening when she saw that two more had joined making it a group of four. She glanced around frantically, desperately looking for a way out. She spotted another fire door across the room.

Jenna ran for it, yelping when her foot caught on the box she decided to jump over in her haste, sending her sprawling. The brunette scrambled to her feet as quick as she could but the dummies had gotten dangerously close. She backed up until she hit a wall. One of the dummies raises it's arm and Jenna braced herself for the blow when suddenly a hand grasped hers. The young woman’s head snapped to the side and saw a man wearing a leather jacket. “Run!” He said before pulling her away from the shop dummies.

The pair raced down the corridor hand in hand until they reached the lift. Before the doors closed, a shop dummy stuck its arm through. The Doctor grabbed its arm and after a few tugs, he pulled it off. “Are you ok?” he asked turning to Jenna, who was a bit shaken by what just happened.

“I…I…”

“Are you hurt?” the Doctor questioned, moving closer to her. He seriously couldn’t believe the odds of him saving the girl he met all those lives ago. Those eyes…they really did remind him of Naiyah’s. He remembered how her eyes used to light up at a new discovery or seem to shine when she took in the wonders of the universe. Though the last time he saw them they were full of sadness…pain…

“N-no”, Jenna managed to say, bringing him out of his sombre thoughts “you…uh…pulled its arm off”, she stated.

“I did”, the Doctor confirmed “you sure you’re ok?” he queried.

Jenna shook her head “No, no I’m not”, she said, honestly “a man is dead…” she whispered “and shop dummies were chasing me” she ran a hand through her hair “it’s so insane”.

“It’s gonna be ok”, the Doctor assured her with an amount of softness that surprised him. It was probably because her eyes reminded him of the one person that he cared about the most. “I’m going to stop it”.

“How?” Jenna asked.

The Doctor opened his mouth to answer when the lift doors dinged open. He ushered her out and used his sonic on the controls making them spark. “You don’t need to worry about how”, he said leading her to the fire exit “all you need to know is that I’m going to deal with it” he pulled the door open and nudged her out of it “just do me a favour and don’t tell anyone about me otherwise you’ll get them killed” and with that he pulled the door closed. Jenna was about to walk off when the door opened again. “I'm the Doctor, by the way”, he said introducing himself “What’s your name?”

“Jenna”, the brunette replied.

“Nice to meet you, Jenna”, the Doctor said, cheerfully “now you better run along home”. He then yanked the door closed. Jenna stuck her hands in her pockets and crossed the road, carefully avoiding the cars. She barely reached the other side when Henricks exploded!

“Oh my god!” she exclaimed. Jenna ran back across the road almost getting hit in the process. She pulled open the door and darted inside. “Hello! Doctor?” she called, trying to see through the smoke. The brunette covered her face with the sleeve of her jacket and pushed through it. This was probably the most stupidest thing she’d ever done but she couldn’t walk away knowing the Doctor was somewhere in the building. “Doctor!” she shouted, coughing when she inhaled some smoke. She kept going despite her eyes watering, and continuous coughing.

Jenna started to sway on the spot as a figure came towards her. She collapsed into a pair of leather clad arms, the Doctor. “You silly girl”, he scolded as he scooped her into his arms, carrying her out of the burning building.

\--------------

Sarah Jane breathed with a sigh of relief when her daughter began to stir. “Mama?” Jenna said, looking at her.

“Yes, sweetheart, I’m here”, Sarah Jane said softly.

“Where…am I?” Jenna asked.

“You’re in the hospital”, Sarah Jane explained “firefighters found you unconscious outside Henricks”. That had Jenna sitting bolt upright.

“The Doctor!” she exclaimed, missing the shocked look on her mother’s face “is he ok? I was trying to find him but there was too much smoke…I-I couldn’t see! Please tell me he’s not dead!”

“He’s not dead”, Sarah Jane told her though her mind was reeling from the name. The Doctor…that was a name she’d not heard in a very long time. “Only the Chief Electrician, Wilson”

Jenna sank back against the pillows in relief “Good”, she breathed “that’s good. So when can I get out of here?”

“It’ll be a while yet as you’ve only just woken up”, Sarah replied. 

\------------

“Woo! Freedom!” Jenna cheered as she was finally released from the hospital, a day later. Sarah Jane chuckled at her daughter’s reaction.

“You were in hospital, not a prison”, she said.

“Felt like it”, Jenna grumbled “if I never have to eat those evil little jelly pots, it’ll be too soon”, she added making her face. Sarah Jane laughed even harder and put an arm around her daughter.

“Lets get you home where there’s no jelly pots”, she said.

“Sounds good to me”, Jenna agreed.

\---------------

Jenna fiddled with the strap of her bag as she walked to her favourite tree. She stopped short seeing the Doctor standing there. “I didn’t think I was going to see you again”, she remarked “how are you?”

“I’m fine thanks”, the Doctor replied “I was wondering if you wanted to travel with me for a bit?” he offered. When he’d taken her outside the shop, he was very surprised when Naiyah’s locket began to glow in his pocket. It was like the thing was reacting to Jenna in some way. That was enough to spark his curiosity. That and of course she was the daughter of one of his former companions.

“Travel with you?” Jenna repeated “you mean to other countries and stuff? Cos no offense, I don’t really know you. Plus my mum would kill me if I just ran off with a stranger”.

“She wouldn’t”, the Doctor said “already spoken to your mother and she’s agreed to it”.

A confused look appeared on the young woman’s face “why would she agree to that?” she questioned “are you, like a friend or something?”

“Yes, you’re mother and I were good friends for quite some time”, the Doctor replied “you’ll enjoy yourself, I promise. And you’ll see things that you’ve only dreamt of”.

“Well…if my mum says that I can, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to go with you on a short trip”, Jenna conceded. The Doctor grinned at her.

“Great!” he said, happily. He stepped forward, grabbing her hand and ran towards the TARDIS.

“This is a police box”, Jenna stated.

“Not just a police box”, the Doctor pushed the door open “go on in”. Jenna stepped inside the ship and her mouth dropped open.

“Holy crap”, she breathed. The Doctor watches as she circled the room taking everything in. He could tell by the look on her face that she was in complete awe of the place. She lightly touched the console, the lights brightening a fraction, not that the brunette noticed. The Doctor did though. He also heard the happy hum his ship emitted the second Jenna stepped in. the TARDIS was clearly happy to see the human.

 _Interesting…_ he thought, mentally adding it to the growing mystery that was Jenna Smith. “Its…its incredible!” she exclaimed “you only see this kind of thing in movies”.

“If you like this, wait till you see the rest of it”, the Doctor told her.

“There’s more?” Jenna asked a look of surprise on her face.

“Yep”, the Doctor replied.

“Fantastic!” Jenna said, smiling and taking another look around the room. The Doctor had to grin at the way she was taking everything in. He loved it! Someone who was amazed by the TARDIS, not seeming to be overwhelmed by the fact that it was bigger on the inside…it was a refreshing change…in a way. He hoped that his other new companion, Rose Tyler would get along with Jenna.


	3. End of the world

Jenna flopped onto her bed tired from the tour and from chatting to Rose all day. She smiled at she stared up at a very familiar ceiling. She was amazed that the ship had made the bedroom that she had at the house. She was even more amazed by the fact that the Doctor was an alien. She never thought that she would be meeting an alien. He looked so…normal. She flicked off the light, closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Young woman woke up when she heard a child’s giggle in her ear. Jenna reached over and flipped on the light. By the doorway was a little girl. Before she could do anything, the girl turned and walked through her door. Jenna scrambled out of bed and hurried out into the corridor.

The girl beckoned for her to follow and the brunette did so. Jenna followed the girl for a few minutes until they stopped by a door that had a symbol engraved in gold on it. “This is the beginning”, she said, mysteriously.

“Beginning of what?” Jenna asked, confused.

“Everything”, the girl replied “go in”. Jenna placed her hand on the door and golden light emanated from it, flooded her vision.

Jenna gasped awake, sitting up in bed. _That was a weird dream_ she thought, rubbing her face. She got out of bed and padded over to her adjoining bathroom. She turned on the tap and splashed water over her face. Jenna watched the mirror steam up before she traced the symbol that she saw on the door. She stared at it for a moment before she uttered the word… “Naiyah”.

It was about an hour or so later Jenna strolled into the kitchen and discovered Doctor sitting at the table with a mug of tea. But he wasn't drinking it, he seemed to be too engrossed with whatever was in his hand. In fact he didn’t even realise she was there until she sat down at the table.

“Oh, hi Jenna. Sleep well?” The Doctor asked looking up at the brunette.

“Yeah I did”, Jenna replied “are you ok?” she questioned.

“I'm fine”, the Doctor answered. The brunette didn't believe him. But she wasn't going to make him talk about whatever was distracting him. It wasn't any of her business. Instead she decided to change the subject.

“whatcha got there?” she asked nodding at the item in his hands. 

“Just a little something from my home", the Doctor replied showing her.

“It's lovely”, Jenna remarked looking at the gold locket “Can I…?” she gestured to it.

“Sure", the Doctor said and handed it over.

Jenna looked at the locket in her hands and was rather surprised to see the same pattern on it that was on the door. She slowly traced it, the Doctor watching with this mild curiosity. Then she said a name which made his eyes widen And his twin hearts skip a beat.

“Naiyah"

How...How did she know that name? Given that she was a human, the Gallifreyan on the locket wouldn't have made any sense to her. And the TARDIS doesn't translate that language anyway. So how does she know the name of the Time Lady that he'd held most dearest to his hearts? Unless it was because of how the locket had reacted to the young woman before. Whatever the case may be, Jenna was becoming more intriguing by the minute.

“I'm so sorry I don’t know what came over me", Jenna suddenly said, breaking the Doctor out of his thoughts. She quickly gave the locket back. “I'm gonna get some tea. Would you like some?” Jenna asked, already rising to do so.

“Sure", the Doctor said. Jenna took his mug and went over to the kettle. He watched her make the tea for a bit before he spoke up. “Why did you say that name?”

“What name?” Jenna asked extracting the tea bags from the mugs.

“Naiyah”, the Doctor replied. 

Jenna set the spoon down and turned to face the Doctor. “I don’t know why I said it. I just tracing that engraving and the name popped into my head", she explained. That was a little bit of a lie. She’d gotten the name from the dream she had but she wasn’t quite sure how to explain it without sounding like a complete nutter. The brunette turned back to the mugs and added the milk. “It's weird”, she continued, picking up the mugs “But when I was holding it, I got this sense of familiarity”.

“Like you'd seen it before?” the Doctor asked.

“No, it was more than that”, Jenna replied walking over the table and set the mugs down “This may sound crazy but it felt like the locket belonged to me”, she added, sitting down. The piece of jewellery just felt so right in her hands, like it belonged there.

“You feel like it belongs to you", The Doctor repeated, taking a note of everything she said.

“Yeah...but like I said that's completely crazy”, Jenna said.

“I dunno I've heard stranger in my travels", the Doctor said. He glanced down at the locket and then back at Jenna “Why don't you hold onto it?” he suggested.

“Doctor I-I couldn't. It belongs to one of your people...it wouldn't be right", Jenna said.

“Jenna I _want_ you to hold onto it”, the Doctor insisted, holding it out to her “please". He knew Naiyah would approve of his decision, she'd be intrigued as to why Jenna felt the way she did about the locket.

The brunette took it from him. “It wouldn't be too weird if I...wore it?” she asked.

“Not at all", the Doctor answered. He shouldn't feel so comfortable allowing her to wear it, but he was. Jenna unclasped the chain, put it around her neck and secured it.

“I won't lose this", she promised touching the locket.

“I know", the Doctor said. He trusted her with it completely.

Eventually the pair made their way into the console room where Rose joined them. “So now you both had a rest, where do you want to go?” the Doctor asked.

“Forwards”, Rose replied, eyeing the locket around Jenna’s neck. That wasn’t something the brunette would normally wear which put the crazy thought into her head…that the Doctor had given it to her. But why would he do something like that? Unlike her, the Time Lord barely knew Jenna! For The first time, she felt a stab of jealously toward her best friend.

“How far?” the Doctor asked.

“How about 100 years?” Jenna suggested. The Doctor pulls a lever and then turns a knob. Rose and Jenna hold onto the console as the TARDIS shook for a few moments.

“There you go. Step outside those doors, it's the twenty second century”, the Doctor said as when it stopped shaking.

“You're kidding”, Rose said

“That's a bit boring, though”, the Doctor said “Do you want to go further?”

“Fine by me”, Rose said. She didn’t care _where_ they went…the past…the future…a different planet…

“Same here”, Jenna added. The TARDIS shook again as the Doctor took them further into the future.

“Ten thousand years in the future. Step outside, it's the year 12005, the new Roman Empire”, the Doctor said. 

“You think you're so impressive”, Jenna said teasingly.

“I am so impressive”, the Doctor defenced.

“Yeah, you wish!” Jenna retorted playfully.

The Doctor gave her a mock glare “Right then, you asked for it”, he said “I know exactly where to go. Hold on!”

The TARDIS shakes for a longer amount of time “Where are we?” Rose asked when it stopped. The Doctor didn’t say anything, just gestured to the doors. Jenna ran down the ramp and out the door. The Doctor and Rose followed suit.

The Doctor used his sonic on a panel near the door which opened the shutters on the large window. Rose and Jenna looked at their home planet floating in space “You lot, you spend all your time thinking about dying, like you're going to get killed by eggs or beef or global warming or asteroids. But you never take time to imagine the impossible, that maybe you survive. This is the year 5.5/apple/26. 5 billion years in your future, and this is the day the Sun expands”, the Doctor said. Both Rose and Jenna watched as the sun flared and turned red. “Welcome to the end of the world”, he added.

_Shuttles five and six now docking. Guests are reminded that Platform One forbids the use of weapons, teleportation and religion. Earth Death is scheduled for fifteen thirty nine followed by drinks in the Manchester Suite._

“So, when it says guests, does that mean people?” Rose asked as they walked down the corridor.

“Depends what you mean by people”, the Doctor replied vaguely.

“I mean people. What do you mean?” Rose questioned confused.

“Aliens”, the Doctor said answering Rose’s question.

“What are they doing on board this spaceship?” Jenna asked

“It's not really a spaceship, more like an observation deck. The great and the good are gathering to watch the planet burn”, the Doctor replied using his sonic on a wall panel. The door slid open.

“What for?” Rose asked.

“Fun”, the Doctor replied. The trio stepped inside a large observation gallery. A frown formed on Jenna’s face. How is watching the Earth burn in anyway fun? “Mind you, when I said the great and the good, what I mean is, the rich”, the Time Lord added as they crossed the room to a set of windows.

“The planet looks the same. I thought they shifted over time”, Jenna remarked. She didn’t know whether she was happy to see her home planet looking that way or very sad.

“They did, and the National Trust shifted them back. That's a classic Earth. But now the money's run out, nature takes over”, the Doctor explained. 

“How much longer has it got?” Rose asked.

The Doctor looked at his watch and said “about half an hour. And the planet gets roasted”.

Jenna didn’t say anything. She just reached up and fiddled with the locket. She could take some solace in at least knowing that the Earth had lasted 5 billion years. Much longer than she expected it to, what with all issues of global warming. “Is that why we’re here? I mean is that what you do? Jump in at the last minute and save Earth?” Rose asked.

“I’m not saving it. Time’s up”, the Doctor told her.

“I hope there aren’t any people still down there”, Jenna said quietly.

“There isn’t. They’ve all gone, spread out across the stars”, the Doctor assured her. 

“Good”, Jenna said happy to know that they were only going to watch an empty planet burn. As hard as it was going to be to witness the death of her home at least it was empty.

“Who the hell are you?” a blue skinned man demanded as he strolled towards them. 

“Oh! That’s nice, thanks”, the Doctor said somewhat sarcastically a bit annoyed that he interrupted them. 

“But how did you get in?” the alien demanded “This is a maximum hospitality zone. The guests have disembarked! They're on their way any second now!” Both Rose and Jenna stared at the man, well they couldn’t help it. He was blue!

“That's me. I'm a guest”, the Doctor said pulling out his psychic paper. “Look, I've got an invitation. The Doctor, my wife Jenna and our plus one”, he explained taking Jenna’s hand “I'm the Doctor, this is my wife Jenna” the brunette gave the blue skinned man a wave “this is Rose Tyler. She's our plus one. Is that all right?”

“Well, obviously. Apologies, et cetera. If you're on board, we'd better start. Enjoy”, the man said and walked to a lecturn.

The moment he left, the Doctor showed Rose and Jenna the leather wallet “The paper's slightly psychic. It shows them whatever I want them to see. Saves a lot of time”, the Doctor explained.

“He's blue”, Rose stated.

“Yeah”, the Doctor said not at all bothered by it.

“Why did you call me your wife?” Jenna asked curious. He could’ve said she and Rose were his plus two but he didn’t. Why?

“With three of us it made more sense for one of you to be my wife and the other to by the plus one”, the Doctor replied. Ok so he was lying. He wasn’t sure where the wife bit had come from, he’d just said it. Jenna opened her mouth to ask him why he chose her over Rose to be his ‘wife’ when the Steward spoke.

“We have in attendance, the Doctor, his wife Jenna and Rose Tyler. Thank you! All staff to their positions” the steward clapped his hands and small blue skinned start scurrying around. “And now, might I introduce the next honoured guest, representing the Forest of Cheem, we have Trees. Namely, Jabe, Lute and Coffa”.

The three time travellers watched as three tree-like people walk through the doors. “There will be an exchange of gifts representing peace”, the steward explained “If you could keep the room circulating, thank you. Next, from the solicitors Jolco and Jolco, we have the Moxx of Balhoon”.

The Doctor grinned as another small blue alien entered sitting on a cushioned remote controlled seat. Jenna was rather interest by this new alien while Rose looked slightly bewildered. “And next, from Financial Family Seven, we have the Adherents of the Repeated Meme”.

A group of black robed beings entered the room. “The inventors of Hypo-slip Travel Systems, the brothers Hop Pyleen”

Two fur clad reptilian type aliens entered.

“Cal ‘Spark Plug’”

Two more aliens walked in wearing floor length robes with large dome hoods.

“Mister and Mrs Pakoo”

Two bird like beings came in next.

“The Ambassadors from the City State of Binding Light”

Another two aliens entered. They reminded Jenna of a goblin similar to those in Harry Potter but bald. Jabe and her two companions approach the Doctor, Jenna and Rose. “The Gift of Peace”, Jabe said handing the Doctor a small pot with a little twig sticking out of the soil “I bring you a cutting of my Grandfather”.

“Thank you”, the Doctor said giving it to Rose. He let go of Jenna’s hand to pat himself down for something he could give to her in return. Jenna removed a green plaited bracelet that was around her wrist. It was part of a set of seven individual bracelets, each one a colour of the rainbow. They were given to her as a thank you gift from a grateful little girl named Claire. Jenna felt bad giving one of the bracelets away but they didn’t have anything else to give as a gift. 

“I give to you a bracelet of friendship”, she said handing it over.

“Thank you”, Jabe said. Then she and her companions walked away.

“Quick thinking Jenna”, the Doctor remarked.

“Well I didn’t want my husband to look like an idiot”, Jenna said giving him a smile. The Doctor returned the smile. Rose just stood there feeling a little left out. She was also pretty irked that the Time Lord choosing Jenna over her to be his wife, albeit a pretend one.

“From the Silver Devastation, the sponsor of the main event, please welcome the Face of Boe”, the Steward announced making the three time travellers turn their attention back to the double doors at the other end of the room. The doors slid back and a large glass case containing a giant humanoid head wheeled itself in.

“The Moxx of Balhoon”, the Doctor said cheerfully as the blue alien came up to the trio.

“My felicitations on this historical happenstance”, Mox greeted “I give you the gift of bodily salivas”.

Jenna fought the urge to screw her face up in disgust as Moxx spat in Rose’s face. “Thank you very much”, the Doctor said not even trying to stop himself from laughing. Jenna gave him a blue bracelet and Moxx went on his way.

“Ah! The Adherents of the Repeated Meme. I give you a bracelet of friendship”, the Doctor said. Jenna gave one to him which he then handed over to the black robed people.

“A gift of peace in all good faith”, one of the Adherent’s said holding out a large silver egg which the Doctor took, tossing it up into the air and catching it before handing it over to Jenna.

“And last but not least, our very special guest. Ladies and Gentlemen, and Trees and Multiforms, consider the Earth below. In memory of this dying world, we call forth the Last Human”

What came through the door was not what Jenna and Rose were expecting. It was a piece of skin stretched out on a frame which had eyes and a mouth. “The Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen”, the steward introduced her as.

“Oh, now, don't stare. I know, I know it's shocking, isn't it? I've had my chin completely taken away and look at the difference! Look how thin I am” the Doctor laughed silently and looks at the girls who were rather shocked by the appearance of the Last Human. “Thin and dainty. I don't look a day over two thousand”, Cassandra said. She then had one of her attendants bring in a large egg. _That is not what an Ostrich looks like_ Jenna thought as Cassandra described it. The next gift she produced was a jukebox which Cassandra called an iPod.

One of the staff who brought in the jukebox pressed a button and _Tainted Love_ began to play. As the music played, Jenna wandered around the room still holding the gift from the Adherents. She paused in front of the pedestal where the last Ostrich egg sat. Jenna set down the silver egg she was holding and gingerly picked up the Ostrich one. She was rather surprised at how light it was. She would’ve figured an egg that size would have been a bit heavier than that.

She carefully set the egg down and turned to go find the Doctor and Rose unaware that Cassandra had been watching her. “Where’s Rose?” Jenna asked the Doctor when she joined him, seeing that he was alone.

“She just left”, the Doctor replied “I think it got too much for her”.

“Then we better go find her”, Jenna said. The Doctor nodded in agreement and the pair started out of the room briefly stopping when Jabe wanted to take their photograph. The two of them were almost at the Viewing Gallery where the TARDIS had been parked, when an announcement came over the tannoy asking for the owner of the blue box to report to the steward’s office. 

They had a brief conversation with the blue skinned man in regards to the TARDIS which had to be moved. After watching the attendants drag the TARDIS away, the Doctor and Jenna headed to their original destination, the Viewing Gallery. Thankfully Rose was in there, sitting on the stairs.

“What do you think, then?” the Doctor asked sitting on the other side of the stairs, Jenna sitting next to him.

“Great! Yeah…fine. Once you get past the slightly psychic paper…” Rose replied getting a laugh out of the Doctor. After a brief pause, she spoke again “They're just so alien. The aliens are so alien. You look at 'em…and they're alien”.

“Good thing I didn't take you to the Deep South”, the Doctor joked making Jenna smile.

“Where are you from?” Rose asked.

“All over the place”, the Doctor said vaguely.

“They all speak English”, Rose stated.

“No, you just _hear_ English. It's a gift of the TARDIS. The telepathic field, gets inside your brain and translates”, the Time Lord explained.

“It's inside our brains?” Jenna asked a little worried by that revelation.

“Well, in a good way”, the Doctor assured her seeing the worry on her face. The violet eyed girl relaxed, reassured by his words.

“That’s pretty handy”, Jenna remarked. I mean imagine all the phrase books you’d have to carry about with you. Your pockets would have to be bigger on the inside!” the Doctor let out a laugh at that.

“They are actually”, he told her pulling out a thick book and a pair of large binoculars and grinning at the look of surprise on her face.

“What else have you got in your pockets?” Jenna asked interested. In response the Doctor produced banana.

“From the banana grove at Villengard”, he said somewhat proudly.

“It’s a…space banana?” Jenna asked eyeing it. The Doctor chuckled at that.

“Pretty much”, he agreed.

“What else you got in there? The kitchen sink?” Jenna joked.

“Well I tried to but it sprung a leak…made a mess in my pockets”, the Doctor said playing along. He grinned again when the brunette giggled. He didn’t know what it was about her but this was the first time in a while that he’d actually lightened up.

“So you carry around a space banana in your pocket along with a pair of binoculars and a book on Charles Dickens short stories”, Jenna stated when she’d finally calmed down.

“I like bananas. Bananas are good”, the Doctor said putting the items back into his pocket.

“They’re better than pears”, Jenna commented making a face “I hate those”.

“Me too”, the Doctor agreed.

Rose stared at the two as they talked wondering how Jenna could be so comfortable chatting away to the Doctor, who was an alien, while they were in some sort of space ship about to watch the Earth burn in less than half an hour. Anybody who was in this situation would be overwhelmed, she most definitely was. And yet… there was Jenna joking around with the Doctor, seemingly unfazed by it all. The aliens… the TARDIS getting inside their minds... _oh that reminds me_

“Jenna how can you be ok with his machine getting inside our heads, changing our minds?” Rose demanded.

“I just am. Whats the big deal?” Jenna asked. She couldn’t understand why Rose was getting angry over the fact that the TARDIS was aiding them in understanding any aliens they encounter. Frankly she was rather grateful for it, it was making the first trip with the Doctor easier knowing that she didn’t have to be worried that she wasn’t going to understand aliens languages, or that the Doctor would have to translate for them.

“The big deal is that he didn’t even ask for our permission”, Rose replied crossly.

“I didn't think about it like that”, the Doctor said thrown by the way Rose was acting. Here Jenna was laughing and joking about…taking it all in her stride…then there was Rose who was getting angry.

“No! You were too busy thinking up cheap shots about the Deep South. Who are you, then, Doctor? What are you called?” Rose demanded.

“I'm just the Doctor”, the Doctor replied.

“From what planet?” Rose pressed.

“Well, it's not as if you'll know where it is!” the Doctor argued back.

“Where are you from?” Rose asked not about to let it go. She had the right to know more about the alien they ran away with.

“What does it matter?” the Doctor asked getting defensive.

“Tell me who you are!” Rose shouted.

“This is who I am, right here, right now, alright? All that counts is here and now, and this is me!” the Doctor shouted, suddenly angry. Jenna flinched at his tone which went unnoticed by the Time Lord as he got up from the steps and walked to the large window. Rose moved to sit beside her friend as she'd noticed the change in her posture.

“I’m sorry Jenna. I shouldn’t have pushed”, she said apologetically. She was all too aware that her best friend that the first few years of her childhood wasn’t exactly the best. It had only gotten better after Jenna’s mother and father divorced.

“It’s ok Rose”, Jenna said quietly. She looked at the Doctor “you should talk to him”.

Rose nodded “you sure you’re going to be ok?” she asked.

“Yeah. I’ll be fine”, Jenna replied. Rose got up from the steps and went to stand by the Doctor.

_Earth Death in twenty minutes. Earth Death in twenty minutes._

“All right… as Shareen often says…don't argue with the designated driver….”, Rose said and the Doctor smiled at that “can’t exactly call for a taxi…” Rose pulled her phone out “there's no signal. We're out of range. Just a bit”, she said.

“Tell you what…” the Doctor took her phone from her “With a little bit of jiggery pokery…” he removed the back off of it.

“Is that a technical term, ‘jiggery pokery’?” Rose asked

“Yeah, I came first in jiggery pokery. What about you?”

“Nah, failed hullabaloo”, the blonde replied with a smile.

“There you go”, the Doctor said handing the phone back to Rose after putting in a new battery. As Rose is dialling her mother, the Doctor glanced back at Jenna who was still sitting on the stairs now cradling Jabe’s gift in her hands. “I’ve given Rose’s phone an upgrade. Universal Roaming. She can call from anywhere in time and space as long as you know the area code”.

“Sounds rather handy”, Jenna commented not looking up from the plant.

“I could do the same for yours if you like”, the Doctor offered.

“Thanks” Jenna pulled out her phone and set it beside her on the stairs. She stiffened when he sat down next to her which the Doctor took notice of.

“Are you alright?” he asked as he took the back off of her phone.

“I’m fine”, she replied still not looking at him.

“You sure?” the Doctor questioned eyeing her, concerned.

“Yeah”, Jenna looked at him “I’m sure”.

The Doctor could tell that she wasn’t being truthful, that there seemed to be something was suddenly bothering her but decided not to press the matter. If or when she wanted to tell him what it was then he would listen. “There you go, all done”, he said handing Jenna her phone back after replacing the battery. Jenna took the phone back from him and brought up her contact list. She chose the one labelled ‘mum’ and put it to her ear as it rang.

“Hello?” Jenna looked at the Doctor surprised as she heard her mother’s voice.

“Hey mum”, she said with a smile. Shortly after she’d had finished with her phone call, Rose had already hung up from talking to her mother, the space station started to shake.

“That’s not supposed to happen”, the Doctor said to the girls. To Jenna he sounded far too happy about that. She and Rose followed the Time Lord back to the Manchester Suite.

“That wasn't a gravity pocket. I know gravity pockets and they don't feel like that”, the Doctor said as he fiddled with a control panel. While he was doing that, Jabe approached them “What do you think, Jabe? Listened to the engines. They've pitched up about thirty Hertz. That dodgy or what?” The Time Lord said turning to the tree woman.

“It's the sound of metal. It doesn't make any sense to me”, Jabe replied.

“Where's the engine room?” the Doctor asked.

“I don't know, but the maintenance duct is just behind our guest suite, I could show you and your wife”, Jabe offered gesturing to Jenna.

“While you’re off doing that I’m going to catch up with the family. Quick word with Michael Jackson”, Rose said.

“Actually, why don’t you go with the Doctor and Jabe?” Jenna suggested to the blonde “I want to have a poke about here”.

“Oh…ok”, Rose said and she left with the Time Lord and tree lady. 

Jenna walked back over to the Ostrich egg and picked it up again “this is too light”, she murmured. She gave it a gentle shake, frowning when she heard something rattle around inside “what the hell?”

The young woman ran her fingers around it, trying to find a seam…some way of opening it. But there didn’t appear to be one. She glanced around at the party goers. She couldn’t very well break it in front of them. Securing the egg in her arms, Jenna slipped away, unaware that the Adherents were following.

Jenna threw the egg against the wall and it shattered. She carefully picked through the shards to reveal a small device. She picked it up and eyed it curiously “what are you”, she whispered. The Doctor was probably the best person to ask. She’d have to wait for him to come back first. Jenna popped the device into her pocket and stood up only to be struck hard around the back of the head.

\-----------------

Jenna groaned as she woke, the locket around her next quietly thrumming and faintly glowing. She winced as she touched the back of her head. “Bloody hell, that hurt”, she griped. She sat up to find herself in one of those Observation Rooms. Immediately her hand went to the pocket where she put the device. She cursed when it was gone. “Ok. Someone has got the thingy and put me in here”, she stated “step one: get out. step two: find the culprit…somehow”. With that in mind, she bounded up the steps toward the door, it didn’t move. Jenna pressed a few buttons on the little key pad by it but only received bleeps very similar to an access denied noise.

 _Sun filter descending_ the computer announced. “That doesn’t sound good”, Jenna remarked. Her eyes widened as the light of the sun began to pour through the window as the sun filter slowly lowered “that’s definitely not good!” Jenna exclaimed. She slammed her hands against the door “Let me out! Let me out!” she shouted.

_Sun filter descending_

“HELP!” Jenna screamed seeing the top of the room was being charred as the sun burnt it. Outside in the corridor, the Doctor and Rose heard the scream.

_Sun filter descending._

“Anyone in there?” the Doctor called as he started to work on the panel. The response he got, made him feel like he’d been dowsed in ice cold water.

“It’s Jenna!”

“Oh god”, Rose breathed, eyes wide. Her best friend was trapped!

“Hang on. I’ll get the door open”, the Doctor called frantically working at the panel.

“Hurry!” Jenna shouted seeing that the sun’s deadly rays had reached the top of the door.

_Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending._

A second later the brunette breathed a sigh of relief when she heard.

_Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising_

Outside the Doctor and Rose looked equally relieved.

_Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising_

Jenna’s elation quickly vanished when the computer suddenly announced that the sun filter was descending again! “Stop mucking about!” she yelled.

“It’s not me. The computers getting clever”, the Doctor said through the door. Jenna stumbled backward, down the steps as the deadly rays moved steadily downwards. She flattened herself as best as she could against the floor.

“Please stop it Doctor”, she whispered, a tear running down her face. She’d never been so scared than she was in that moment. Much to her relief, she heard the sun filter begin to rise.

“You ok?” the Doctor called through the door “Jenna?”

“Y-yeah! I’m fine”, Jenna managed to call back.

“The door is jammed. I can’t get it open”, the Doctor told her “but I’ll be back soon”, he promised.

“Please do”, Jenna said, sitting up leaning against the step “cos I wanna go home”.

Minutes ticked by and she was growing more and more anxious by the second. Then the computer announced something that made her heart plummet. The heat was beginning to rise!

_Heat levels hazardous._

“No, no, no”, Jenna breathed, eyes wide as the glass started to crack.

_Shields malfunctioning. Shields malfunctioning_

Rays of sun burst through the cracks, burning holes in the metal wall where they hit. “Come on Doctor”, she prayed really hoping beyond hope that he could stop this, preferably before she was burned to a crisp.

~engine room~

The Doctor ducks under the second fan

~viewing room~

Jenna screamed as one of the sun’s rays got incredibly close to her. The locket around her neck began to glow, golden light stretching out and enveloping her in a protective bubble. Though in her terrified state, she didn’t even notice.

_Heat levels rising. Heat levels rising._

~engine room~

“Jabe!” Rose cried as the woman burst into flames beside her. She let go on the lever and backed away from the burning woman. Her letting go of the lever resulted in the fans speeding up, making it impossible to move past.

~viewing room~

Tears streamed down Jenna’s face as the walls around her rapidly burn. The golden glow grew brighter, keeping the deadly rays at bay.

~engine room~

  
_Planet explodes in 10… 9…_

The Doctor closes his eyes and everything goes silent

_8…7…6…5…4…_

Still with his eyes closed, the Doctor steps calmly through the fan. When he reaches the other side, he opens his eyes and pulls the lever to raise the shields. “Raise shields!”

~viewing room~

_Exoglass repair. Exoglass repair. Exoglass repair_

The cracks in the glass start repairing themselves before Jenna’s eyes. She let out a sob, fresh round of tears running down her face.

\-----------------------

Sarah Jane opened the door to her house and was both surprised and shocked to see her daughter standing there with a tear streaked face. “What happened?” she asked. Jenna didn’t say anything, she just burst into tears. Sarah Jane put her arms around the young woman and the 19 year old clung to her mother, sobbing.

“Ssh…its ok sweetheart”, Sarah Jane said softly, rubbing her back. From across the road, the Doctor watched this with heavy hearts. He never wanted Jenna to get hurt. Hell, he promised Sarah Jane that he’d keep her safe and he failed. He hoped that one day he’ll be able to make it up to her. But for now, he’ll give them their space.


	4. Aliens of London

Jackie walked out of her bedroom rubbing her face tiredly. She stopped when she saw Jenna fast asleep at the table, missing posters scattered around. She had really appreciated all that the young woman had done this past year. She had been in many ways her rock through this very stressful and trying time.

Jackie slipped into the kitchen to make herself a cuppa and one for Jenna as well. When she placed the mug in front of the 19 year old, it was like an automatic wake up call. Jenna slowly opened her eyes and sat up, a missing poster stuck to her cheek. Jackie let out soft laugh and carefully removed it from her face. Jenna couldn’t help but giggle too. “Thanks for the tea, Jackie”, she said after she finally calmed down.

“You’re welcome sweetheart. And you know that you don’t have to sleep at the table or on the sofa”, Jackie said “you’re more than welcome to Rose’s room”.

“I can’t Jackie, it wouldn’t be right”, Jenna said. She outright refused to sleep in Rose’s room, claiming that they needed to leave it ready for when Rose came home. “Rose’ll need it when she comes finally home”.

Jackie smiled at her again. That was another reason she was glad that Rose’s best friend was here. The unwavering faith that Jenna had for her daughter’s safe return, kept her hopeful too. “You’re such an optimist”, she remarked.

“That’s me”, Jenna said taking a sip of her tea “mmm…that’s good”, she hummed. The flat door opened and Rose walked in.

“Hey mum!” she greeted “Jenna, didn’t expect to see you here. Thought you were staying with your mum”. Jackie just stared at her daughter, the cup slipping out of her hand in shock at her sudden appearance after a whole year of being missing. “Uh…why are you staring at me like that?” Rose asked confused as Jenna and Jackie just looked at her.

Jenna got up from her chair and went over to her best friend, hugging her tightly. “I’m so glad you’re back”, she said “you’ve been gone a year”.

Rose pulled back from her grasp, gaping in shock at the brunette. Then the Doctor rushed in, looking rather out of breath. “It's not twelve hours, it's twelve months. You've been gone a whole year”, he said apologetically “Sorry”.

“You…you’re the reason my daughter has been missing for the past year”, Jackie accused “just who the hell do you think you are?”

“I’m the Doctor”, Time Lord replied “Rose and I have been travelling together”.

“You waltz in here all charm and smiles, and the next thing I know, my little girl vanishes off the face of the Earth!” Jackie exclaimed angrily. She glanced at her daughter “For a whole year I’ve been waiting and worrying, wondering if I was ever going to see you again. I thank my lucky stars that Jenna was here to help me through it” she turned back to the Doctor “and how old are you then? Forty? Forty five? What, did you find her on the Internet? Did you go online and pretend you're a doctor?”

“I am a Doctor!” the Doctor insisted.

“Prove it. Stitch this, mate!” Jackie slapped the Time Lord hard. The Doctor reeled back, clutching his face, groaning. Jenna winced at the action. She knew that was going to hurt. Jackie always had one hell of a slap.

After seeing the Doctor get slapped, Jenna opted to take him up to the roof to allow Jackie and Rose to reconcile. “She got you good”, Jenna remarked.

“900 years of time and space, and I've never been slapped by someone's mother”, the Doctor complained.

Jenna blinked “you’re 900?” she asked, utterly surprised. Her mother had told her all about the Doctor she’d been travelling but she had never expected that he was several centuries old.

“I am”, he confirmed.

“You look really good for it”, she commented.

“Thanks, I moisturise”, he joked and the young woman giggled. The Doctor grinned, he missed seeing her laugh and smile. Heck he missed her altogether. He hoped that he would be able to convince her to travel with him and considering that she was still wearing Naiyah’s locket, it shouldn’t be too hard to do. “How have you been?” he questioned.

“Fine”, Jenna replied “aside from worrying about Rose, this past year had been great”.

“I’m really sorry about that. I’d intended to get her back 12 hours after she and I left”, the Doctor said “not sure how it ended up being a whole year”.

“Well, whats done is done I suppose”, Jenna said with a shrug.

“I see you’re still wearing that locket”, the Doctor remarked nodding to it.

Jenna touched it “Yeah I am”, she said “just didn’t feel right taking it off”. She climbed onto the wall that the Doctor was leaning against. “You know…I’ve missed you”, she admitted.

“Really?” the Time Lord asked, interested.

Jenna opened her mouth to respond when a horn blared above them. The Doctor pulled her off the wall, holding her protectively as a spaceship zoomed overhead, leaving behind a trail of smoke. “Well…didn’t see that coming”, Jenna commented as it collided with Big Ben and crash landed in the Thames.

“Fancy taking a look?” the Doctor offered.

“Course I would!” Jenna replied. The Time Lord jumped up, grabbing her hand and led her down to the courtyard. On the way there, they grabbed Rose. 

“What exactly are we running toward?” Rose asked. She and Jackie had heard the noise but by the time they’d come out to investigate, they had missed the spaceship.

“Spaceship has crashed into the Thames”, Jenna answered.

A shocked look appeared on Rose’s face “You’re kidding”, she said.

“No I’m really not”, Jenna said.

When the three of them eventually arrive at the scene, the roads had been blocked off by the army and a crowd of people had started to gather. “It's blocked off”, Rose commented looking at the roadblock “We're miles from the centre. The city must be grid locked. The whole of London must be closing down”, she continued.

“What do you expect would happen?” Jenna asked bouncing on her toes trying to see over the crowd “things would go on as normal?”

“I can't believe I'm here to see this. This is fantastic!” the Doctor said happily.

“Did you know this was going to happen?” Rose asked. 

“Nope!” the Doctor replied with a grin on his face.

“What about that ship?” the blonde questioned

“Nope!” the Doctor answered.

“Well… do you know why it crashed?” Rose pressed.

“Nope!” the Doctor repeated.

“Oh, I'm so glad we've got you”, Rose said sarcastically.

“I bet you are. This is what I travel for. To see history happening right in front of us”, the Doctor said not realising she was being sarcastic.

“It is pretty amazing”, Jenna agreed “if only we could bloody see!”

She squeaked as the Doctor put his hands around her waist and lifted her up. “What do you see?” he asked.

“Just a big roadblock and cross looking soldier boys”, Jenna answered as the Time Lord set her down.

“Good thing we’ve got the TARDIS then”, Rose said “that’ll get us past the roadblock”.

“There’s one spaceship in the middle of London, we don’t really want to draw attention to a second one”, Jenna said.

“Yeah, but it looks like a big blue box. No one's going to notice”, Rose pointed out.

“You'd be surprised” the Doctor said “Emergency like this, there'll be all kinds of people watching. Trust me. The TARDIS stays where it is”.

Rose was rather disgruntled about that, she wanted to go investigate the spaceship. “So history's happening and we're stuck here”, she said bitterly.

“Yes, we are”, the Doctor agreed.

“We could always do what everybody else does”, the Doctor looked at Rose questioningly “We could watch it on TV”.

“Watch it on TV?” the Doctor repeated giving the blonde an ‘are you serious’ look.

“Unless you can teleport us behind the blockade without the use of the TARDIS, TV is our only alternative”, Jenna told him.

\----------------

“That’s so much better”, Jenna muttered stepping outside of the flat. It had just gotten far too crowded for her liking. She rubbed her temples trying to ease her headache from Jackie and her friends nattering about dodgy top-up cards. She pushed away from the railing and wandered away from the front door of the Tyler Flat. She needed to go for a walk, clear her head.

Jenna walked along the courtyard, hands in her pockets. She stopped when she saw Naiyah standing by the TARDIS. The little Time Lady turned and moved through the doors like a ghost. As soon as she’d done that, one of the doors creaked open. Jenna entered the TARDIS where Naiyah led her through varying twists and turns until they reached the door that had the engraving of the Time Lady’s name in Gallifreyan. It was the same one that Naiyah showed her in her dream.

“Go in”, the Time Lady said.

“The last time you said that, I touched the door and there was a bright light and I woke up”, Jenna reminded her.

“You’ll be able to this time”, Naiyah said.

“Alright”, Jenna said. She took a breath and pushed open the door. Inside the room were several book pedestals, 13 on them to be exact. All of them were empty except one. The closest one rested a book with a bright red cover and was titled _Primis_. “ _Primis_ ”, Jenna murmured tracing the lettering “First”.

“This is mine”, Naiyah said “it has everything in it from the day I was born to the day I regenerated”.

“Why are you showing it to me?” Jenna asked.

“You and I are connected somehow”, Naiyah replied. She opened up the book and the pages flicked through until they stopped on a moving illustration of a blonde haired child looking into what appeared to be a swirling kaleidoscope of lights. “When I was 8 was I brought in front of the Untempered Schism. Most are inspired by what they see; some run away and a few go mad. It was none of those things for me. What I saw were flashes of different women all with my eyes…”

“Your future selves”, Jenna guessed.

“That’s exactly what they were”, Naiyah confirmed “and I saw something else after my final body. I saw you” the page flipped over and it was like Jenna was seeing snapshots of her past. The day she was born. The day her mother had taken her to the park for the very first time and she’d tried out the swings. There was also her first meeting with the Doctor and their conversation which ended up with her being given the locket now around her neck.

“Oh my…” Jenna breathed, stepping back.

“I know it’s a lot for you to take in at once”, Naiyah said touching her arm. Jenna was surprised that she could feel the Time Lady’s hand considering that she was able to walk through the TARDIS doors.

“Yeah…just a little”, Jenna admitted.

“I’m sorry. I had to show you, it was time”, Naiyah explained.

“I just don’t understand. Why me?” Jenna asked “what makes me so special?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know”, the Time Lady confessed “I didn’t get very far into my research before I fell ill and was forced to regenerate. My future selves can give you more answers”. She gestured around to the empty pedestals.

“But there’s nothing there”, Jenna pointed out.

“There’s nothing there for the moment”, Naiyah corrected “when it is time, the others will appear to you. In the meantime, you’ll be seeing a lot more of me and I’ll be able to help you throughout your travels with the Doctor”.

“I’d appreciate that but I don’t think I will be travelling with him anymore”, Jenna said.

“You absolutely sure about that?” Naiyah asked with a knowing smile.

“Yeah, I am…” Jenna said “why? What do you know?”

“Sorry I can’t say”, Naiyah said, regrettably “it’s a bit of a spoiler”. 

“I guess I’ve got something to look forward to”, Jenna lightly remarked.

“You have indeed”, Naiyah agreed.

“Well, this has been one confusing yet enlightening conversation but I better get back to make sure the Doctor hasn’t gotten himself into trouble”, Jenna said.

“Knowing my best friend, he’s probably in trouble right now”, Naiyah laughed. They left the room and door vanished.

“The Doctor doesn’t know the room exists?” Jenna asked.

“Nope. That’s a secret just between us girls”, Naiyah replied before she disappeared. Jenna smiled and started toward the console room, planning on leaving the ship. She passed by the scanner, completely missing the animation that had flickered onto its screen.

When the brunette stepped out of the ship, immediately she could tell something was wrong. For starters, Mickey was very badly hiding behind a dumpster. “Mickey? What are you doing?” Jenna asked.

“Hiding”, the man replied coming out.

“I can see that, but why?” Jenna questioned.

“So I wouldn’t get taken away with the Doctor and Rose”, Mickey answered.

“They were taken?!” Jenna exclaimed “when? Where?”

“A few minutes ago. I think they were taken to Downing Street”, Mickey explained and Jenna relaxed at that.

“I suppose the best thing to do would be to….” Jenna trailed off.

“Would be to…?” Mickey repeated. Jenna didn’t respond, instead she slowly moved toward the block of flats, eyes darting from window to window. “Jenna? What’s wrong?” Mickey asked.

“Jackie…she’s in trouble!” Jenna cried and took off. She bounded up the stairs as fast as she could with Mickey following.

Inside the Tyler flat, Jackie is staring in horror at the large alien in her home. As it advanced, she screamed and backed up against a wall.

Jenna panted, pushing herself to go faster…

The alien raised its claw ready to strike Jackie down. The woman screamed again.

**To be continued…**


	5. World War Three

When Jenna reached the front door of the Tyler flat, she kicked it down. “Blimey”, Mickey remarked. He had never known her to do that before.

“Jackie!” Jenna shouted seeing her cower on the floor with a Slitheen towering over her. But there was something wrong with the alien, it was screeching in pain, blue electricity surrounding it. She grabbed a chair and smashed it across the Slitheen’s back. “Come on!” she said, darting around the alien to grab Jackie’s hand and pulled her out of the flat.

“That was badass”, Mickey told her, having seen what she had done.

“Thanks”, Jenna said “we need a safe place to go other than the TARDIS”. She wasn’t about to draw attention to the ship.

“My flat isn’t far”, Mickey told her “we can hide there”.

“Good, we’ll go there”, Jenna said and the three of them took off toward his home. “Do you know if you have vinegar?” she asked as they ran.

“I’m not sure”, Mickey replied “why do you ask?”

“I…don’t know”, Jenna admitted. Something telling her that they needed it to beat the Slitheen. She didn’t even know how she knew what that alien was called. Was it her connection to Naiyah? There wasn’t any other explanation she could think of that makes sense.

Eventually they made it to Mickey’s home where they barricaded the door. Mickey went to the kitchen to pop the kettle on. “Got anything stronger?” Jackie asked.

“No chance. I've seen you when you've had a few. This ain't time for a conga”, Mickey said.

“We've got to tell someone”, Jackie insisted.

“No, you don’t”, Jenna said “the fewer people who know about this, the better. Trust me”. She then started searching for vinegar and products with it in.

“Have you met the Doctor before?” Jackie questioned.

“I have”, Jenna admitted. She opened up a jar and wrinkled her nose up at the smell.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Jackie demanded.

“You would’ve thought I was insane”, Jenna calmly said “Not that I would blame you”.

“And…what are you doing with all of that?” Jackie pressed, eyeing the stuff she was dumping into a jug.

“I am making a weapon against that alien”, Jenna answered.

“No offense but I’m not sure how vinegar based products are a weapon”, Mickey said “I think we need something better, like a gun”.

“Do you happen to own a gun Mickey?” Jenna asked, glancing at him.

“Well…no”, Mickey replied.

“Then why did you bring it up?” she questioned “pretty pointless” Jenna nodded at the mixture in the jug “that ought to do it” she looked at Mickey and Jackie “you two stay here. I’ll go deal with big green and ugly”.

“Are you crazy?!” Jackie exclaimed, chasing after the young woman as she headed to the front door “you can’t go out there and face that thing armed with nothing but that! It’ll kill you!”

“Not if I get it first”, Jenna said. She unblocked the door “barricade this after I leave. I’ll come back when it’s done”, she added. Jackie hugged her tightly and Jenna had to shift her hold on the jug to make sure that the contents didn’t get spilled too much.

“Please be careful”, she said. The young woman was essentially like a second daughter to her and didn’t want to see anything bad happen to her.

“I will”, Jenna promised. She then left Mickey’s home and headed back to Jackie’s flat. Jenna hesitated outside of the kicked in door, not feeling as confident as she did before. “Come on girl, pull yourself together”, she muttered. Jenna tightened her grip on the jug and entered.

The Slitheen sniffed and turned toward her, catching a whiff of Vinegar. “You don’t have a guts to use that, little girl”, he hissed at her “a Slitheen girl wouldn’t think twice but you…you’re shaking…”

The alien was right. She was shaking a little in fright. It was had been so much easier when she was running on adrenaline and desperate to save Jackie. Jenna stumbled back, jug clutched tightly in her hands. “I-I will use it”, she threatened though her voice wavered slightly causing the Slitheen to laugh at her.

“See? You can’t do it”, he said “And now you’re going to die!”

Jenna screamed as the Slitheen lunged at her. It slashed at her arm, catching her skin and leaving a nasty cut. At the same time she flung the vinegar at the alien. The moment it hit his skin, the Slitheen exploded. Jenna stood there in shock, covered in Slitheen goop, blood trickling down her arm. The jug dropped out of her hands.

She had no idea how long she stood there before Jackie and Mickey had arrived. "Oh my god!" Jackie exclaimed taking in the sight. She touched Jenna's shoulder, ignoring the gunk. The young woman seemed to snap out of her shock and looked at Mickey and Jackie.

"What have I done?" Jenna whispered. She appeared to be horrified by her actions.

"Seems like you stopped that thing", Mickey remarked.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up", Jackie said and gently ushered Jenna away from the mess.

"Guess I'll deal with this mess then", Mickey muttered.

Jackie helped Jenna out of her filthy clothes and then proceeded to watch her down as the poor girl seemed incapable of doing it herself at the moment. Once Jenna clean, dry and dressed in Rose's robe, Jackie sat her on the toilet to tend to her arm. "I killed it", Jenna said quietly "I never killed anything before".

"I know sweetheart", Jackie said softly.

"I don’t even know what possessed me to do it", Jenna admitted "I just felt like I _had_ to stop the Slitheen".

“I know”, Jackie repeated. She finished up cleaning the cut on Jenna’s arm and then wrapped it up with a bandage. “Now, let’s get you a nice cup of tea”, Jackie said and took her out to the living room, sitting her down on the sofa.

“You look much better now that you’re not covered in Slitheen gloop”, Mickey remarked.

“Thanks”, Jenna said “do you mind grabbing my phone? I need to talk to the Doctor”.

“Sure”, Mickey said. He got her phone from where it was left and handed it to her. Jenna quickly dialled Rose, figuring that she was still with the Time Lord.

 _“Jenna, whats up?”_ Rose greeted _“we’re kinda in the middle of something”_.

“Does it involve large green aliens with wickedly sharp claws?” Jenna asked.

There was silence on the other end for a moment until Rose spoke again _“H-how did you know?”_

“Just a guess”, Jenna replied “is the Doctor there? I need to tell him something”.

 _“I’m here”_ , the Doctor said.

“Those aliens are called Slitheen. I think they had something to do with that spaceship”, Jenna explained “why they made it crash into the Thames or what they…” the brunette trailed off, her face becoming void of expression.

 _“Jenna? Jenna are you there?”_ the Doctor called.

Mickey took the phone from Jenna’s hand “she’ll call you back”, he said and hung up.

“Here we are a nice cup-“ Jackie broke off when she saw Jenna sitting there with a blank look on her face “what happened?” she asked “what did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything!” Mickey cried “she was talking to the Doctor and then this happened”.

Jackie set the cup down and sat on the young woman’s other side. “Jenna, sweetheart come back to us”, she said, shaking her shoulder.

Unseen by Mickey and Jackie, the 1st Naiyah appeared in front of Jenna, sitting cross legged on the coffee table. She reached forward, placing her hands on the 19 year olds face. “Come back Jenna”, she whispered.

The brunette gasped “the Slitheen are going to destroy the earth!” she exclaimed before passing out.

\------------------

When Jenna finally regained consciousness, she found herself laying on the sofa, the Doctor kneeling beside it. “Doctor…you’re here. Does that mean you stopped the Slitheen? Saved the world?” she asked quietly.

The Doctor nodded “I did”, he replied “it was all thanks to you”.

“Me?” Jenna asked, confused.

“Yes. Mickey called and told me what you said before you passed out”, the Doctor answered. He helped her sit upright.

“I don’t understand what happened. One minute I was talking to you on the phone and then…” Jenna placed a hand on her forehead as a dull ache started up “I…”

“It’s ok. It’ll come back to you in time”, the Doctor said seeing that it was hurting her to remember.

“I hope so”, Jenna muttered “I don’t like not knowing” she looked at him “I suppose you’ll be off soon”.

“I am but I was wondering if you wanted to come with me again”, the Doctor offered “I realise you didn’t have the best experience and I promise if you do decide to come, I will make it up to you”.

“Go, on”, Naiyah encouraged from where she was leaning against the wall.

“Yeah, I’ll come”, Jenna agreed.

The Doctor smiled “fantastic”, he said, happily.


	6. Dalek

“So this place is actually called Woman Wept?” Rose asked as they stepped out on to a beach. The Doctor had been true to his word about making it up to Jenna and brought them to a place he was sure would impress. Plus it wasn’t somewhere dangerous.

“Yep”, the Doctor said popping the p.

“How long are we staying here?” Jenna asked.

“For as long as you want”, the Doctor replied “something really happens when it gets dark that I’m sure you’ll really like”.

Jenna smiled at him “colour me intrigued”, she said. Rose wasn’t so intrigued as her best friend. They were on a beach….a nice beach but still…a beach. Not very exciting. She was hoping for something better and preferably warmer.

Several hours later, Jenna was gaping in amazement as the stormy sea froze in place. “This is incredible!” she exclaimed running her hand over the ice. She would’ve called Rose out of the TARDIS to see it but she knew that the blonde would rather stay in the ship where it was warmer.

“Want to see more?” the Doctor asked, holding out his hand.

“Sure!” Jenna replied taking his hand. Together they carefully ventured out onto the sea. Jenna laughed as they slid on the slippery surface. As they moved, she took in their icy surroundings, the artist in her just itching to draw what she was seeing.

When the pair finally got back to the TARDIS, Jenna got warmed up and then delved into her sketch book. In fact she had gotten very involved in her drawing that she fell asleep in an armchair in the Library where she had curled up to sketch the frozen landscape. This is where the Doctor had eventually found her. He picked up the sketchbook from where it had fallen and looked at the partially finished drawing. The Time Lord was pretty impressed by it. She was rather talented for someone so young. He tucked the sketchbook under his arm before gathering Jenna up in his arms and carried her to her room.

Unseen by the Doctor, 1st Niayah watched them leave from where she was sat cross legged on the floor, her book balanced on her lap. She smiled and then disappeared.

\---------------------

“So what is it?” Rose asked as she left the TARDIS followed by Jenna and the Doctor “What's wrong?”

“Don't know. Some kind of signal drawing the Tardis off course”, the Doctor replied. He’d been aiming for the Horse Head Nebula when all of a sudden the ship had picked up a signal, pulling it off in a different direction.

“Where are we?” Rose questioned looking around. It was a little difficult to see their surroundings as there were no lights on.

“Earth. Utah, North America. About half a mile underground”, the Doctor replied.

“When exactly are we?” Jenna queried.

“2012”, the Doctor answered. 

“God, that's so close. So we should be about 26, Jenna”, Rose said.

“Sounds about right”, the brunette agreed, having quickly worked it out. Light flooded the place as the Doctor found the light switch and flicked it on.

“Blimey. It's a great big museum”, Rose said taking in their surroundings. Jenna walked forward looking at the display cases either side. She stopped when saw the 1st Naiyah behind a case. The young Time Lady gestured to her and she came over.

“You need to be careful”, Naiyah said “this place is not very nice. There’s something here. Something very dangerous”.

“What is it?” Jenna asked. The Time Lady was about to answer her when the Doctor started to call out for the brunette.

“Jenna? Where are you?”

“Hold that thought”, Jenna said to Naiyah. She darted out of the little corner they had been talking in “Here I am. I got a little distracted by all these displays”, the young woman explained “sorry”.

“That’s alright”, the Doctor said “just don’t make it a habit of wandering off. Its my number one rule”.

“No wandering off. Gotcha”, Jenna said, giving him a mock salute.

“Whats that?” Rose asked noticing a robot head inside a nearby display case.

“An old friend of mine…well, enemy”, the Doctor replied going over to it “The stuff of nightmares reduced to an exhibit. I'm getting old”.

“So is that where the signal's coming from?” Jenna questioned nodding to the robot head.

The Doctor shook his head “Nah, its stone dead. The signal's alive. Something's reaching out, calling for help” he places the tip of his finger on the glass. Immediately an alarm and they’re promptly surrounded by soldiers all pointing their guns at the trio.

“If someone's collecting aliens, that makes you Exhibit A”, Rose said to the Doctor, putting her hands up. 

They were promptly escorted to an office where a British guy about Rose and Jenna’s age was showing something to an American man. “What does it do?” he asked.

“Well, you see the tubes on the side? It must be to channel something. I think maybe fuel”, the British guy replied.

“I really wouldn't hold it like that”, the Doctor cut in seeing how the American man was holding the item in his hands.

“Shut it”, the curly haired woman whom escorted the time travellers in, snapped.

“Really, though, that's wrong”, the Doctor insisted.

“Is it dangerous?” the American questioned.

“No, it just looks silly”, the Doctor answered, reaching for the item. Several security personnel readied their weapons making him pause. The American man sitting at the desk held up a hand, signalling the men to lower their weapons. He then handed the object to the Doctor. “You just need to be...” the Time Lord gently stroked the item and it made a pleasant noise “Delicate”.

“It's a musical instrument”, Jenna remarked. 

“And it's a long way from home”, the Doctor added. He handed it to Jenna and she stroked it gently to make several notes play just like the Doctor. She smiled at him, pleased she managed to make it work. The American snatched it from her and tried to do the same but harsher sounds were produced instead. “I did say delicate. It reacts to the smallest fingerprint. It needs precision”

The American man changed his touch on the instrument and pleasant sounds “Very good. Quite the expert”, the Doctor said.

“As are you”, the American man said.

Much to the dismay of the Doctor and Jenna, he carelessly tossed the instrument aside. “Who exactly are you?”

“I'm the Doctor. And who are you?” the Doctor asked with a new disdainful look in his eye.

“Like you don't know. We're hidden away with the most valuable collection of extra-terrestrial artefacts in the world, and you just stumbled in by mistake”

“Pretty much sums me up, yeah”, the Doctor confirmed.

“The question is, how did you get in? 53 floors down, with your little cat burglar accomplices” the man looked at both Rose and Jenna “You're quite a collector yourself, they’re rather pretty. Especially you violet eyes”. 

“Ugh, gross”, Naiyah muttered. Jenna glanced around at her in surprise. She’d honestly forgotten the Time Lady had shown up. The Doctor followed her gaze but he didn’t see the Time Lady, he just saw an empty space. It made him curious as to what made Jenna look around so suddenly like that.

“You know…I’m really curious as to how you got eyes like that”, the American remarked, making Jenna and the Doctor look back at him “it’s a highly unusual colour”.

“Genetics”, Jenna offered.

“Really”, the man commented, very interested. He wondered what other secrets the young lady held.

“This is Mister Henry Van Statten”, the British guy piped up, introducing him.

“And who's he when he's at home?” Rose asked.

“Mister Van Statten owns the internet”, the young man replied.

“Don't be stupid. No one owns the internet”, Jenna retorted.

“And let's just keep the whole world thinking that way, right kids?” Van Statten said with a grin.

“I really don’t like this guy”, Naiyah muttered shuffling closer to Jenna.

“You and me both”, Jenna quietly agreed. Rose shot her friend a confused look, having just about heard what she said.

“So you're just about an expert in everything except the things in your museum. Anything you don't understand, you lock up”, the Doctor stated.

“And you claim greater knowledge?” Van Statten asked.

“I don't need to make claims, I know how good I am”, the Doctor said.

“And yet, I captured you. Right next to the Cage. What were you doing down there?” Van Statten asked.

“You tell me”, the Doctor countered.

“The cage contains my one living specimen”, Van Statten explained. Naiyah touched Jenna’s arm.

“The danger”, she warned and the brunette nodded.

“And what's that?” the Doctor asked.

“Like you don't know”, Van Statten shot back.

“Show me”, the Doctor challenged.

“You want to see it?” Van Statten questioned.

“Goddard, inform the Cage we're heading down” he then turn his attention to the young British man “You, English. Look after blondie. You, Doctor with no name and violet eyes, come and see my pet” with that Van Statten walked towards the lift.

“I’m staying with Rose”, Jenna said to the Doctor. The Time Lord was happy about that. He didn’t like the way Van Statten was looking at her.

“Ok”, he said. Jenna stopped him when he started after Van Statten.

“Be careful”, she said “we don’t know what his ‘specimen’ is”.

“Don’t worry Jenna, I will be”, the Doctor assured her.

“You be careful Jenna”, the Time Lady said to the young woman before she disappeared.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The British guy who Rose and Jenna now knew as Adam showed them around his workshop. “Sorry about the mess. Mister Van Statten sort of lets me do my own thing, so long as I deliver the goods” Adam handed Rose a piece of metal “What do you think that is?” 

“Er, a lump of metal?” Rose said unsure what it could be.

“Yeah. Yeah, but I think…well, I'm almost certain, it's from the hull of a spacecraft”, Adam explained “The thing is, it's all true. Everything the United Nations tries to keep quiet, spacecraft, aliens, visitors to Earth. They really exist”.

“That's amazing”, Rose said.

“I know it sounds incredible, but I honestly believe the whole universe is just teeming with life”, Adam said.

 _If only he knew_ Jenna thought wandering over to a random basket filled with random items. “I'm gobsmacked, yeah. And you do what, sit here and catalogue it?” Rose asked smiling slightly.

“Best job in the world”, Adam said sounding rather proud about it.

“Oh please”, Jenna muttered riffling through the basket. She picked up an item, inspected it before tossing it aside “Broken”.

“Hey!” Adam exclaimed. Jenna just ignored him and kept going.

“Broken”, she said tossing another item out.

“Ooh. This is a hairdryer”, Jenna said pulling out another item “I wonder if it can disrupt a sonic?” she mused putting it down. Both Rose and Adam stared at her “what?”

“How did you know what that was?” Adam asked.

Jenna shrugged “I don’t know. I just did”, she replied. She then picked up a large gun “why on earth do you have this?”

“Mister Van Statten tends to dispose of his staff, and when he does he wipes their memory. I kept that in case I needed to fight my way out one day”, Adam explained.

Jenna snorted “you? In a fight?” she scoffed.

“I could do”, Adam insisted.

“Yeah when hell freezes over”, Jenna retorted putting the gun down.

“So Adam wouldn't you rather be downstairs?” Rose asked changing the subject “I mean, you've got these bits of metal and stuff, but Mister Van Statten's got a living creature down there”.

“Yeah… Yeah, well, I did ask, but he keeps it to himself. Although, if you're a genius, it doesn't take long to patch through on the comm. system”

“Let's have a look, then”, Rose said.

Jenna and Rose watched over Adam’s shoulder as he accessed the camera feed to the cage where Van Statten’s ‘pet’ was being held. “It doesn't do much, the alien. It's weird. It's kind of useless… It's just like this… great big pepper pot”, Adam told them.

Jenna stiffened when she saw Van Statten’s pet. Something about it seemed familiar to her just like the locket did and it left a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. There was also Naiyah’s warning about it being dangerous. The trio watched a man using a drill on Van Statten’s so called pet. “It's being tortured!” Rose exclaimed.

“Hold on where’s the Doctor?” Jenna asked. She knew that Van Statten was going to show the Time Lord his pet but the man wasn’t there.

“I don't know”, Adam answered.

“Take us down there now”, Rose demanded and Adam complied.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Don't get too close”, Adam warned the girls as they entered the cage. Rose slowly approached the ‘pet’.

“Hello” she said. It didn’t answer her. “Are you in pain? My name's Rose Tyler and this is Jenna Smith. We've got a friend, he can help. He's called the Doctor. What's your name?”

“Yes”, the metal alien said.

“What?” Rose asked confused. It raised its eye stalk to look at her.

“I am in pain. They torture me, but still… they fear me. Do you fear me?” it asked.

“No”, Rose replied. She felt sorry for it. Its eye stalk moved to look at Jenna as she stepped forward.

“Do you fear me?” it asked the brunette.

“No”, she replied although she was a little unsure. Something didn’t feel right. The Time Lady said it was dangerous and she could sort of see why if that gun was anything to go by. However, in its debilitated state it didn’t appear to be much of a threat. But appearances can be deceiving. “you’re dying aren’t you?”

“Yes”

“No, we can help” Rose turned to Jenna “there must be something we can do”.

“There isn’t”, she said “I’m so sorry”. Tears in her eyes, Rose gently placed a hand on the alien’s metal dome.

“Rose, no!” Adam exclaimed but it was too late. Where Rose put her hand suddenly burned orange and she snatched her hand back.

“Genetic material extrapolated. Initiate cellular reconstruction!” the alien said sounding far more alive. Jenna and Rose backed away as it burst from its chains. The man that was torturing the metal alien ran in.

“What the hell have you done?” he demanded. Jenna, Rose and Adam watched as Van Statten’s former pet killed the man using its sucker when he got too close. The violet eyed girl thought that she was going to be sick when she was that.

“It's killing him! Do something!” Rose shouted at the guard.

“Condition red! Condition red!” he called over the intercom and sounded the alarm.

In the room the Doctor was being held prisoner, both the Time Lord and Van Statten also heard the alarm. “Release me if you want to live”, the Doctor told the American. Van Statten wasted no time in undoing the chains on the Doctor’s wrists.

\--------------------

Rose, Adam, Jenna ran along the corridor with De Maggio bringing up the rear. Bywater and the other guards tried to stop the Dalek by shooting at it but that was, unfortunately for them, unsuccessful. Hence why, Rose, Jenna, Adam and De Maggio were running as fast as they can away from the Dalek. That and Bywater had ordered the female guard to get the trio to safety.

“Stairs! That's more like it. It hasn't got legs. It's stuck!” Rose said happily when they reached a set of stairs.

“It's coming! Get up!” De Maggio shouted at them. They hurried up a flight and looked down at the escaped alien.

“Great big alien death machine defeated by a flight of stairs”, Adam mocked looking down at the metal alien. De Maggio demanded that it surrendered but the alien didn’t listen instead it said

“Elevate”

Jenna’s eyes widened as the alien began to glide up the stairs towards them. “Adam, get them out of here”, De Maggio ordered.

“Come with us. You can't stop it”, Rose said to her painfully recalling all those people who died trying to stop the alien when it escaped the room it had been confined in.

“Someone's got to try. Now get out! Don't look back. Just run”, De Maggio ordered. Jenna, Rose and Adam raced up the rest stairs. When they reached a corridor, they all heard the sound of a weapon firing and a scream.

“Rose we have to keep going”, Adam said when the girl stopped.

“I can’t”, the blonde said, the weight of what she’d done…her actions now fully hitting her “it’s my fault Jenna”, she added as she the brunette walked back to her, concern in her violet eyes “De Maggio died because of me”.

“No its not”, Jenna said “she died because of that…that…” she trailed off

“Jenna?” Rose asked seeing she was elsewhere. Jenna shook her head.

“Sorry Rose”, she apologised.

“It’s ok”, Rose said.

“Can we go? That thing isn’t far behind”, Adam said rather eager to keep moving.

“Jenna we do need to go”, Rose said to her friend. The violet eyed girl nodded and the trio started to run again. They ran across a loading bay where several soldiers were waiting for the escaped alien. When Rose, Jenna and Adam reached the doorway at the other end, the metal alien entered. the blonde teen paused as it looked straight at her.

“It was looking at me”, she said leaning on the wall in the corridor.

“Yeah, it wants to slaughter us”, Adam stated.

“I know, but it was looking right at me”, Rose insisted “It's like there's something inside, looking at me, like…like it knows me”.

“Because you touched it?” Jenna asked.

“Yeah maybe”, Rose replied.

“Do you think we could possibly have this conversation away from the murderous alien?” Adam asked really, really eager to be as far away from the thing as humanly possible.

“Dalek”, Jenna corrected him “and no I don’t know how I know that”, she added when Rose and Adam gave her a confused look. It was kind of like with the Slitheen, the name just popped into her head and it made the bad feeling in the pit of her stomach get worse.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jenna’s phone rang as she, Rose and Adam ran up another set of stairs. “This isn't the best time”, she said answering it.

“Where are you?” the Doctor asked.

“Level 49”, she replied.

“You've got to keep moving. The vault's being sealed off up at level 46”, the Doctor told her.

“Can't you stop them closing?” Jenna asked.

“I'm the one who's closing them. I can't wait and I can't help you. Now for God's sake, run”, the Doctor urged. Jenna relayed the information to Rose and Adam and they ran faster. The moment they reached level 46 a klaxon sounded. Jenna tried to push herself to go faster and in her haste, she tripped.

“Jenna!” Rose shouted seeing her friend go down. She tried to go back under the door but Adam stopped her. The bulkhead door closed trapping Jenna with the Dalek.

“Jenna, did you and Rose make it?” the Doctor asked. His hearts sank when he got her reply.

“Rose did but I was too slow” Jenna turned to see the alien come around the corner “If you see my mum tell her…tell her I love her” she said, her voice trembling. “Don’t you dare blame yourself because it wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t your fault” Jenna started to tear up “And you know what? I wouldn’t have missed this for the world” she took a shaky breath as the Dalek grew closer “just do me a favour and take care of Rose. Also…spare me a thought every once in a while” a tear ran down her face “goodbye Doctor”.

Jenna closed her eyes and waited for the end.

“Exterminate!”

The Doctor yanked the earpiece out of his ear after he’d heard the sound of the Dalek’s weapon being fired. “I killed her”, he said quietly, his hearts breaking. She was gone. Jenna Smith was gone. He had failed to keep her safe and just like the Time Lady he lost her to a Dalek.

“I'm sorry”, Van Statten said, his voice full of regret.

The Doctor whipped around to face him angrily “Sorry? You’re Sorry?! I could've killed that Dalek in its cell, but you stopped me!” he shouted.

“It was the prize of my collection!” Van Statten cried.

The Time Lord grew furious. All this guy cared about was his precious collection. He didn’t care about those men who’d died. He didn’t care that Jenna…his companion…his friend…someone he _cared_ for was dead. “Your collection? But was it worth it? Worth all those men's deaths? Worth Jenna? Let me tell you something, Van Statten. Mankind goes into space to explore, to be part of something greater”

“Exactly!” Van Statten stood up “I wanted to touch the stars!”

“You just want to drag the stars down and stick them underground, underneath tons of sand and dirt, and label them” the Doctor said angrily “You're about as far from the stars as you can get. And you took her down with you” his expression changed from furious to grief-stricken “She was nineteen years old”, he added quietly. The Doctor had no idea how he was going to tell Sarah Jane that her daughter was killed while under his care.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jenna opened her eyes cautiously and looked around. She was surprised that she was still alive. “Go on then, kill me” silence “Why're you doing this?” she demanded.

“I am armed. I will kill. It is my purpose”, the Dalek replied.

“So what're you waiting for?” Jenna asked.

“I feel your fear”, the Dalek said.

“That’s not possible. You can’t feel anything other than hatred”, Jenna stated. She didn’t know why she said that or how she could possibly know that fact. The Doctor never told her about the Daleks prior to this meeting. Neither did her mother despite all the other stories Sarah Jane had told her about her travels with the Doctor. Daleks were never mentioned. So she had no clue where this knowledge had come from. But in all honesty that wasn’t really important right now. What _was i_ mportant was that she was currently stuck with a Dalek.

“Rose gave me life. What else have you given me?” the Dalek grew hysterical “I am contaminated”. It fired wildly, hitting the wall either side of her causing the girl to flinch at the closeness of each shot. When the Dalek finally calmed down it turned its attention to the camera mounted on the wall. In Van Statten’s office, the screen flickered to life. It showed Jenna alive standing next to the Dalek.

“Oh thank god”, Rose breathed relieved to see her best friend alive.

“Open the bulkhead or Jenna Smith dies”, it ordered.

“You're alive!” the Doctor exclaimed joy and relief breaking out on his face.

“Can't get rid of me”, Jenna said trying to sound cheery though she was still shaking from almost dying.

“I thought you were dead”, the Doctor stated. He was really, really glad she wasn’t though.

“Open the bulkhead!” the Dalek ordered again.

“Don't do it!” Jenna shouted at him. Rose looked at the Doctor wondering what he was going to do. Would he listen to Jenna? Or would he give in to the Dalek’s demands?

“What use are emotions if you will not save the woman you care for?” The Doctor stared at the screen stunned. He turned to Van Statten who looked at him shocked. Even Rose was surprised by the Dalek’s question.

The Doctor went back to the screen “I killed her once. I can't do it again”, he said. He hit a key and the bulkhead door started to open.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jenna stood in the lift next to the Dalek. The atmosphere was rather tense in the enclosed space. It took everything Jenna had not to fidget on the spot. “When we get up there, you can’t kill them”, she told the alien.

The Dalek swung its eye stalk around so fast that Jenna had to quickly move as to not get hit. “But why not?” it asked “My function is to kill”.

“You shot at me but didn’t kill me”, Jenna reminded it “So you can’t kill them”.

“What I am Jenna? What am I?” the Dalek demanded.

“I don’t know”, Jenna honestly replied.

When the lift doors opened, Van Statten and Rose was standing in the office. The Doctor had left his blonde companion behind while Adam took him to the workshop to look for weapons that would work against the Dalek.

“Don't do anything. It's beginning to question itself”, Jenna informed them as the Dalek moved towards the man, completely ignoring Rose. The girl in question hugged her best friend tightly.

“I’m glad you’re ok”, Rose said.

“You and me both”, Jenna agreed “where’s the Doctor?” she asked not seeing the Time Lord anywhere. Rose

“Van Statten. You tortured me. Why?” the Dalek demanded.

Van Statten backed away, clearly terrified of the Dalek “I wanted to help you. I just…I don't know. I was trying to help. I thought if we could get through to you, if we could mend you…I wanted you better, I'm sorry” his back hit a wall “I'm so sorry! I swear, I just wanted you to talk!”

“Then hear me talk now. Exterminate! Exterminate!” the Dalek cried. Van Statten winces “Exterminate!”

Rose rushed over “Don’t do it! Don’t kill him!” she exclaimed. The Dalek spins to face her “You don't have to do this anymore. There must be something else. Not just killing…what else is there? What do you want?”

The Dalek looks at Van Statten then back to Rose. Its eye piece also shifted to look at Jenna who hadn’t moved from the lift. “I want freedom”, the Dalek replied. It, Rose and Jenna got back into the lift and headed for floor one of the museum. While they’re heading upwards in the lift, the Doctor was charging up the stairs clutching the alien gun in his hands desperate to get to Jenna before the Dalek decided it didn’t need her anymore.

~floor 1~

The Dalek stopped in the middle of floor 1 and blasted a hole in the ceiling, allowing light to filter in. “You're out. You made it”, Rose said. She looked up at the hole and smiled “I never thought I'd feel the sunlight again”

Jenna would’ve enjoyed the sunlight too if it wasn’t for the fact that she was still pretty wary of the Dalek. Something just didn’t seem right to her. She couldn’t explain it but she had this feeling that something was going to happen. “How… does… it… feel?” the Dalek asked. Rose was going to reply when the casing of the Dalek opened to reveal a one eyed mutant. Both girls watched it hold out watched it hold out one of its feelers toward the sunlight. They both gazed at it until a voice behind them made them both jump.

“Get out of the way”

Jenna and Rose turned and saw the Doctor standing there holding a large gun. Jenna realised it was the exact same gun that she’d found in Adam’s workshop. “Jenna, Rose get out of the way now!”

Jenna moved to the side only so she could watch the Dalek. She didn’t know why but she felt like she _had_ to watch the Dalek intently. “No”, Rose said “I won't let you do this”.

“That thing killed hundreds of people”, the Doctor shot back.

“It's not the one pointing the gun at me”, Rose retorted still standing in front of the Dalek.

“I've got to do this. I've got to end it. The Daleks destroyed my home, my people. I've got nothing left”, the Doctor said.

Rose moved to the side “Look at it”, she said.

“What's it doing?” the Doctor asked confused.

“It's the sunlight, that's all it wants”, Rose said.

“But it can't”, the Doctor said his voice shaking.

“It couldn't kill Van Statten, it couldn't kill Jenna. It's changing. What about you, Doctor? What the hell are you changing into?” Rose demanded.

The Doctor lowered the gun looking completely lost. And that was when Jenna saw it. The Dalek moved its gun so it was pointing at Rose’s back. Without even thinking, Jenna ran and tackled Rose to the floor just barley avoiding being hit by the Dalek’s laser. The Doctor quickly snatched up his gun and fired. The blast destroyed most of the Dalek, leaving smoking remains behind.

Jenna sat up, body shaking from the adrenaline rush. That had been stupid and very reckless…and something she had never, ever done before. But if she hadn’t her best friend would be dead. She looked at the smoking remains of the Dalek.

Rose also stared at the remains of the Dalek feeling rather shaken up at the fact that she almost died. She’d defended it and in the end it had tried to kill her…if Jenna hadn’t pushed her out of the way…

~TARDIS~

Jenna stood at the kitchen counter making herself a cup of tea. She needed something to sooth her after the day she had of running…almost dying. The brunette was startled when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her from behind. “I’m glad the Dalek didn’t kill you”, the Doctor mumbled “if it had…I…” he trailed off, tightening his arms around her, burying his face into her neck. Jenna leant back against him, placing her hands over his.

“It’s ok”, she said softly “the Dalek _didn’t_ kill me. And I have no plans on going anywhere, anytime soon…ok?” the brunette felt him nod against her neck.


	7. Long Game

**AN: meant to put this one before Empty Child…oops!**

For Adam’s first trip in the TARDIS, the Doctor decided that they would go somewhere completely random. He stepped out of the TARDIS with Jenna while Rose hung back with Adam to make sure he was alright as he looked rather queasy from all shaking the TARDIS made while travelling through the time vortex. 

“Blimey it’s a bit warm”, Jenna commented “so where exactly are we?” she asked the Doctor as she took in their surroundings.

“A spaceship”, he replied “no wait a minute a space station”, the Doctor added correcting himself “I’d say around the year 200,000”. Jenna pushed the door open and gestured to her friend who was standing by Adam. When Rose came over, Jenna quietly whispered where they were and the date. Rose had taken her aside after breakfast and told her that she wanted to impress Adam on his first trip. And Jenna agreed to help although she’d wondered why her friend wanted to impress Adam when she had a boyfriend waiting for her back on Earth.

Rose went back to Adam, said something to him and then they both walked down the ramp together. Jenna stood back with the Doctor while Rose ‘impressed’ Adam. “So, um… judging by the architecture, I'd say we're around the year 200,000. If you listen…” she pauses so that she could listen to the engines “Engines. We're on some sort of space station. Yeah, definitely a space station. It's a bit warm in here. They could turn the heating down… Tell you what, let's try that gate. Come on!”

“I hope this isn’t going to be another Platform One”, Jenna said to the Doctor as they followed Rose through the gate. She wasn’t very keen on reliving that experience any time soon…actually she wasn’t keen on any situation at all.

“Nah it won’t be”, the Doctor said.

“And how could you possibly know that?” Jenna asked stopping.

“Jenna, I promise. Its not going anything like platform one”, the Doctor softly assured her, taking her hand. After almost losing her, he wasn’t about to let anything happen to her again.

“Ok”, Jenna said, seeing the sincerity in his eyes and hearing it in his voice.

“Here we go! And this is…” Rose paused again awestruck by her home planet below “I'll let the Doctor describe it. The Time Lord stepped up beside Rose.

“The Fourth great and bountiful Human Empire. And there it is, planet Earth at its height. Covered with mega-cities, five moons, population ninety six billion. The hub of a galactic domain stretching across a million planets, a million species, with mankind right in the middle”, the Doctor explained. Jenna rolled her eyes when Adam fainted not even bothering to look at him. “He's your boyfriend”, the Doctor said not even bothering to look back at the young man.

“Not anymore”, Rose replied.

\----------------

“Come on, Adam. Open your mind. You're going to like this”, the Doctor said cheerily with his arm around the guy “Fantastic period of history. The human race at its most intelligent. Culture, art, politics. This era has got fine food, good manners…”

“Out of the way!” a man shouted rudely pushing past the time travellers. Suddenly the area they’d just entered sprung to life. Food stalls popping up, people bustling about chatting away. 

“Fine cuisine?” Rose asked the Doctor after inspecting the fast food behind the case nearest to her.

“My watch must be wrong” the Doctor checked it “No, it's fine. It's weird”, he said confused.

“That's what comes of showing off. Your history is not as good as you thought it was”, Rose remarked.

“My history's perfect” the Doctor insisted.

“Well, obviously not”, Rose teased “isn’t that right Jenna?” she turned to the violet eyed young woman only to find she’d gone. “Doctor, Jenna’s gone!”

The Doctor looked around trying to spot the brunette but he couldn’t see her. “She’s probably looking around. She’ll be fine”, he assured her. In actual fact he was a little worried about having Jenna out of his sight since almost losing her in Van Statten’s museum. 19 year old in question was heading back to the Observation Deck to take another look at the Earth.

When she got to her destination, she leant against the railing gazing at her home planet, fiddling with the locket around her neck. Then something caught the corner of her eye. Something white with her name on it. Jenna turned and found an envelope taped to the railing not far from where she was.

She went over to it and carefully removed the envelope from the railing. She opened it up and took out the piece of paper that was inside.

_Jenna_

_If you are reading this then I know you that you are once again on the Observation Deck._

Jenna looked around, but she didn’t see anyone with her. She turned back to the letter in her hands.

_You're probably wondering how I could possibly know this, unfortunately all I can say at the moment is: spoilers. I understand that isn't entirely helpful but I promise there will be a time where I can explain it all to you._

_You must have so many questions Jenna. How you are connected to Naiyah. Why you have this link with her. I wish I could answer them but unfortunately I cannot for they are spoilers. All I can say is that you needn’t be afraid of any changes that you may experience as you’ll have my letters and Naiyah’s guidance to help you through it. Oh…and the Doctor as well._

_R.S_

Jenna stared at the letter after she read it, numerous questions going through her mind.

_Who is R.S?_

_How did he/she know who I am?_

Jenna sighed and stuffed the letter back into the envelope and put it in the pocket of her dress. She then turned and left the Observation Deck.

The Doctor noticed the brunette come back into floor 139 and went over to her. “You alright?” he asked. He was a little concerned when he noticed her leave floor 139.

“Yeah. I just needed a minute”, Jenna replied “so what have you been up to?”

“Making friends. Come on, I’ll introduce you” Jenna followed the Doctor back to where two smartly dressed women were standing. “This is Cathica and Suki”, the Time Lord said introducing the women.

The violet eyed young woman shook their hands “are you management too?” Suki asked.

“Yep. That’s me”, Jenna answered “Miss junior management...uh…Kya Oswald”. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Doctor, Jenna, Rose and Adam stood at the edge of the octagonal room as Cathica sat down in the chair in the middle of the room. Suki and several other men and woman sat down in front of pads that circled the chair. As they held their hands over the pads, each of the eight sides to the room lit up. The time travellers watched part of Cathica’s forehead open up after she clicked her fingers.

As she watched the blue light stream into Cathica’s mind, Jenna relaxed and the mildly interested yet disgusted look on her face was replaced with a vacant expression. “Compressed information, streaming into her. Reports from every city, every country, every planet, and they all get packaged inside her head. She becomes part of the software. Her brain is the computer”, the Doctor explained unaware of what was happening to the brunette next to him.

“If it all goes through her, she must be a genius”, Rose commented “what do you think Jenna?” she asked, glancing at her best friend. She frowned seeing her best friend’s blank look. The blonde waved a hand in front of her face but Jenna didn’t react “Jenna?”

“Rose don’t”, the Doctor said, stopping her from shaking her friend. He knew what was happening or at the very least he could guess. Naiyah used to do the same thing in when she first started to have visions. Shaking the young woman wasn’t going to do her any good.

“So what do we do?” Rose asked, worried for Jenna’s wellbeing.

“Let’s get her somewhere else and then I’ll ease her back”, the Doctor said. He gently led Jenna out of the room, Rose and Adam following.

“How are you going to ‘ease’ her out of whatever she’s in?” Adam questioned. The Time Lord didn’t answer him, instead he just put his fingers on Jenna’s temples and closed his eyes.

 _“Jenna come back to me”_ , the Doctor mentally called to her. Jenna gasped, snapping out of it. She stumbled back, a frightened look on her face. “What did you see?” the Doctor asked knowing it had to be something bad by how scared she looked.

Jenna shook her head, not wanting to say.

“What do you mean ‘see’? Do you mean like a vision?” Rose demanded before anyone could say anything, the blonde continued "there's no way my best friend had a vision like some kind of freak". Hurt flickered across Jenna's face and Rose immediately regretted her words. "Jenna..." she took a step towards the brunette but Jenna moved back, tears in her eyes. She then turned and ran. "Jenna!" Rose called and started after her friend when the Doctor stopped her.

"I'll talk to her", he said.

"Tell her I'm sorry", Rose said and the Time Lord nodded. The Doctor found Jenna sitting down in front of the TARDIS, silently crying.

“She called me a freak”, the brunette whispered as he approached.

“I know”, the Doctor said sitting down next to her “Rose didn’t mean it”.

“I know she didn’t”, Jenna sniffled, wiping away the tears “what’s happening to me Doctor?”

“Its your connection to Naiyah. She…she used to have visions like that too”, the Doctor explained.

“I don’t want it”, Jenna admitted “yes, it helped before with the Slitheen but what I just saw…” she broke off shivering “scares me and-and I feel so cold”. Jenna shivered again. The Time Lord shrugged off his jacket and put it around her.

“I know you’re scared but I’d like you to at least try and tell me what you saw”, the Doctor said gently.

“Ok”, Jenna said quietly, pulling his jacket closer to her body “I-I saw a room of ice and a man with white hair and…” she took a shaky breath “and a monster hanging from the ceiling” she shivered once more “it’s all happening on Floor 500”.

“Thank you for telling me”, the Doctor said.

“You’re welcome. Just please…don’t ask me to go up there with you. I- I can’t”, Jenna pleaded.

“I won’t”, the Doctor assured her “Do you want to stay in the TARDIS?” he asked.

“Yeah. I think I do”, Jenna admitted “I’m sorry”.

“You don’t need to apologise, Jenna. I understand”, the Doctor said softly. He stood up pulling Jenna with him “I’ll be back soon”, he promised.

“Be careful”, Jenna said quietly.

The Doctor smiled at her “Don’t worry. Now I know what’s waiting for me, I’ll be just fine”, he said. Jenna watched him walk away, biting her lip in worry. The brunette sighed and entered the blue box. The TARDIS let out a hum seeing how upset Jenna seemed to be.

“I didn’t want these visions”, she mumbled “I never asked for them…or any of it”. The ship let out another sympathetic hum and she sank to the floor, hugging her legs to her body. She lifted her head from her knees when she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Naiyah.

“You had a vision, didn’t you?” she asked and Jenna nodded “and it scared you”.

“That’s an understatement”, Jenna muttered “I’m ok with our connection but these visions….” She shook her head “I’ve had two and I can’t handle them. I don’t want them anymore”.

“I wish I could take it away”, Naiyah said “but I can’t. All I can do is hep you through them as will the Doctor”.

“He said you used to have them too”, Jenna said.

The Time Lady nodded “he’s right. They overwhelmed and scared me too”, Naiyah admitted.

“How long did it take for you to get used to it?” Jenna asked.

The blonde shrugged “technically in this body I haven’t gotten used to it”, she confessed “maybe in my second regeneration but you’d have to ask her”.

“I guess you don’t know when I’ll see her, do you?” Jenna questioned.

“I’m afraid not. Sorry”, Naiyah replied.

“That’s ok”, Jenna said. She’d hoped Naiyah would have the answer but deep down she knew that the Time Lady wouldn’t know. “You know…I think I’m gonna do some drawing”, she said after a moment. Drawing usually helps to clear her mind.

“Can I watch?” Naiyah asked.

“Sure”, Jenna answered. She stood up and headed to the library, the Time Lady following.

“Hey, that’s pretty good”, Naiyah remarked peeking over her shoulder about half an hour later “and…its me!”

“Well, I was inspired”, Jenna told her. Suddenly the lights flickered and there was an unhappy hum that resonated through the room. “What’s going on?” she asked, getting up from the chair she had been curled up in.

“No clue”, Naiyah replied “but something has got her upset”.

“Lets go see what it is”, Jenna said. The pair left the library and made their way to the console room where they found a none too happy Time Lord and an Adam who looked like he’d been scolded. “What’s going on guys?” the brunette questioned.

“Adam, the idiot almost got us killed”, the Doctor replied “so he’s going home”.

“Ok”, Jenna said.

“But I can’t go home!” Adam exclaimed “I got a chip type two. My head opens!”

“You got one of those things stuck into your head?” Jenna asked brow raised “you are so stupid…” she shook her head “well, I wish you good luck cos if anyone sees that, you’ll be in serious trouble” she turned to the others “I’m gonna go back to drawing if you need me I’ll be in the library” and with that she left the Doctor, Rose and Adam.

\-------

The Doctor strolled into the library to find Jenna still sketching away in her pad. "How are you?" he asked, sitting down.

"I'm fine", Jenna replied, not looking up from her work. The Doctor reached over, placing his hand over hers, stopping her from continuing. Jenna sighed and glanced up at him.

"No you're not", he said.

"No I'm not", Jenna admitted "but I will be because I have you" her eyes flickered over his shoulder to where Naiyah was standing. The Doctor didn't notice where she was looking as he was more distracted by what she'd drawn. "Oh, I a had a dream about her once and I was inspired", Jenna explained, bending the truth a little, when she noticed the way he was staring at her sketch book. She tore the page out and held it out "I know she meant alot to you", she added.

"Thank you Jenna", the Doctor said taking the paper. He carefully folded it up and put it in his pocket. There was no way he was losing that.


	8. Empty Child

Three days later…

The Doctor knocked on Jenna’s door. Both he and Rose were worried about the girl. Since their trip to the past…to see Rose’s father…she’d been keeping to herself. Mostly staying in her room, only coming out for meals. On those occasions Jenna didn’t really say much to either the Doctor or Rose.

Due to her behaviour, the Time Lord wasn’t that surprised when he didn’t get an answer from the girl. He entered the room to find Jenna curled up on the bed. She looked at him before turning her attention back the locket in her hands. “Hey!” she exclaimed when he took it away from her “give it back”.

“You can have this back after we talk”, the Doctor said.

“Keep it. It _is_ yours after all”, she said laying back down and rolling onto her side facing the wall.

“Jenna we need to talk. Rose and I are worried about you”, the Doctor said.

“You don’t need to be. I’m fine”, Jenna said. She was lying of course. She by far all right. These changes she was starting to see was beginning to scare her a little. Especially the ‘visions’.

“You’re not fine”, the Doctor said.

“I am. I really, really am”, she insisted trying really hard not to tear up. The Doctor could hear her getting upset. He touched her shoulder and she looked at him.

“You’re not fine”, he repeated sitting down on the edge of the bed.

“Yes I am. Yes I am” Jenna started tearing up “yes I am”.

“Jenna Kiara Smith. You are not fine”, the Doctor said firmly. The girl suddenly sat up and threw her arms around him. The Doctor hugged her as she cried. 

“I’m afraid Doctor”, Jenna sobbed.

“Why are you afraid?” the Doctor asked gently.

“I’m afraid of myself”, Jenna mumbled “the letter says that I shouldn’t be afraid but how can I not?” 

“What letter?” the Doctor asked.

In response, Jenna pulled out the letter from under her pillow and handed it to the Doctor “I found it on the Observation Deck when I was taking a breather”, she explained. The brunette watched him read the letter.

“Who’s R.S?” the Doctor asked.

“I don’t know but whoever it is seems to know what’s going on with me”, Jenna said.

“Jenna, I will help you figure this all out, I promise”, the Doctor said. He held out the locket and the letter.

“Thank you” Jenna said taking the letter and setting it aside. She then clasped the locket back around her neck “I’m really sorry for worrying both you and Rose”. 

“That’s ok. If you get any more letters, you let me know”, the Doctor said.

“I will”, Jenna promised “I guess I better apologise to Rose”, she added and hopped off the bed. She wandered into the console room where the blonde was.

“Hey Jenna”, Rose said.

“Hey Rose. Look I’m sorry for worrying both you and the Doctor. I didn’t mean to I just…” she broke off when Rose hugged her.

“It’s ok Jenna”, she said “next time something is bothering you, you talk to me ok?”

Jenna nodded “ok” she stepped out of the hug and turned to the Doctor “so where to next?”

The Time Lord opened his mouth to respond when the lights started to flash. The three of them exchanged looks before hurrying to the console room. “What’s happening?” Rose asked noting the flashing lights on the console “whats the emergency?”

“I dunno”, the Doctor replied “but its mauve”. He then moved around the console flicking switches and pushing buttons. The ship shuddered, making the two females decide that they should hold onto the console in case the ride got any bumpier.

“Mauve?” Rose questioned, raising a brow.

“Universal colour for danger”, Jenna replied.

Rose frowned at her “how did you know that?”

“I…” Jenna started.

“She knew it from me”, the Doctor quickly said. He knew that she wouldn’t easily be able to explain that it was her connection to Naiyah especially since Rose’s reaction to her having visions.

“What happened to red?” Rose asked.

“That's just humans. By everyone else's standards, red's camp. Oh, the misunderstandings. All those red alerts, all that dancing” the Doctor answered. He gestured to the monitor which showed him the object they were chasing. “It's got a very basic flight computer. I've hacked in, slaved the Tardis. Where it goes, we go”

“And that's safe, is it?” Rose questioned.

“Totally”, the Doctor lied. Suddenly it as part of the console exploded. “Okay, I’ll admit I should’ve said reasonably there” the Doctor admitted.

“Ya think?” Jenna said sarcastically. The Doctor glanced back at the monitor.

“No, no, no, no! It's jumping time tracks, getting away from us”, he said frantically working at the console.

“What exactly is this thing?” Rose asked.

“No idea”, the Doctor answered.

“So why are we chasing it?” Jenna questioned.

“It's mauve and dangerous, and about thirty seconds from the centre of London”, the Doctor said seriously.

\----------------

“Do you know how long you can knock around space without happening to bump into Earth?” The Doctor asked stepping out of the TARDIS, Rose and Jenna following.

“Five days?” Rose guessed “Or is that just when we're out of milk?” she added looking at Jenna.

“Yeah I know, I need to cut back on the tea”, the brunette said waving her off.

“Actually I was gonna say that you could stop making those soufflé’s”, Rose said recalling that hours she’d spent in the kitchen making the damn things after that not so fun trip with Adam.

“At least mine where edible", Jenna pointed out "If my cousin made them, they’re likely to be dumped in the bin. But as she’s said to me many times ‘a soufflé isn't a soufflé; a soufflé is a recipe’. Still can’t figure out what she meant by that”.

“That object must’ve come down somewhere quite close", the Doctor spoke up, gaining their attention and bringing the conversation back to the matter at hand "Within a mile, anyway. And it can't have been more than a few weeks ago. Maybe a month”, the Doctor said walking away from the TARDIS.

“A month?!” Rose said surprised “We were right behind it”.

“It was jumping time tracks all over the place. We're bound to be a little bit out. Do you want to drive?” he asked the girls.

“I’d probably would be a better pilot than you”, Jenna replied.

“How much is a ‘little’?” Rose asked before the Doctor could retort.

“A bit”

“Is that _exactly_ a bit?” Jenna asked.

"Well...more of an 'ish'”, the Doctor said, equally vague.

"Glad we cleared that up then", Jenna remarked.

“What's the plan, then? Are you going to do a scan for alien tech or something?” Rose asked.

“Rose, it hit the middle of London with a very loud bang. I'm going to ask”, the Doctor replied pulling out his physic paper.

“Doctor John Smith, Ministry of Asteroids”, Rose read aloud. Jenna noted that it was blank for her.

"Is that what it says?" she asked "looks blank to me".

The Doctor looked at the psychic paper then back at Jenna "seems that you're too smart for it", he remarked.

"Yeah...no that doesn't sound like me at all", Jenna said.

"Oh, come off it!" Rose exclaimed "you're way smarter than me. And you put all those other clever people to shame at school".

"That's true", Jenna admitted. Rose gave her an 'I told you so' look before turning to the Doctor.

“Not very Spock, is it, just asking”, Rose commented.

“Door, music, people. What do you think?” the Doctor asked getting out his sonic as they'd reached a door.

“I think you should do a scan for alien tech. Give me some Spock, for once”, Rose repeated. The Doctor just ignored her and started sonicing the lock. “Jenna? You agree with me don’t you?” she asked looking for some support from her friend.

“Oh no. I’m not getting involved. I’m Switzerland”, Jenna said putting her hands up. When the Doctor finally got the door open he looked at Roses’ shirt.

“Are you sure about that t-shirt?” he asked.

“Too early to say. I'm taking it out for a spin”, Rose replied looking down at it. She was about to follow the Doctor and Jenna in when she heard a child calling for his mum.

The Doctor and Jenna followed the music into a crowded drinking den, full of smoke, chatter and a singer. They hung back listening to the singer on stage. “For nobody else gave me the thrill. When I have uphold silence still, it had to be you, wonderful you. It had to be you”

The two time travellers applauded along with everyone else. The Doctor then made his way onto the stage “Could I have everybody's attention just for a mo? Be very quick, eh… Hello!” he waved at the crowd “Might seem like a stupid question, but has anything fallen from the sky recently?”

There was silence and then everyone except Jenna started to laugh at him. Sorry, have I said something funny?” the Doctor asked looking around the room confused. People just continued laughing. “It's just, there's this thing that I need to find. Would've fallen from the sky a couple of days ago”

A siren sounded and everyone started to get up and leave. It was then that Jenna noticed the poster on the wall. She tore it from the wall and looked at it “oh my god”, she breathed. They’d landed in the middle of World War 2. 

“Would've landed quite near here…” the Doctor continued looking up at the ceiling where the sirens seemed to be coming from “With a very loud…” Jenna held up the poster she’d been holding “Bang”. The Time Lord then realized what time period they were in. He jumped down from the stage and dragged Jenna out of the drinking den. “Rose!” the Doctor shouted when he reached the alley way. The blonde was nowhere to be seen. They went back to the TARDIS and still no Rose. Jenna noticed a cat sitting on top of a dustbin.

“Aw”, she said scooping it up “I’m normally a dog person but I’ll make exception for you as you’re so cute”. She scratched it behind the ears making the cat purr.

“You know…one day, just one day, maybe… I'm going to meet someone who gets the whole ‘don't wander off thing’”, the Doctor grumbled. 

“I guess that’s a common occurrence between us companions”, Jenna said.

“Yep”, the Doctor agreed. 

“What was mum like as a companion?” Jenna asked.

“She was brilliant, just like you”, the Doctor replied.

Jenna looked down focusing on the cat in her arms. “I’m not brilliant Doctor”, the brunette mumbled.

“Of course you are! You’re the one who figured out what the Slitheen were up to before I did”, the Doctor said.

“That was due to a vision that I had because of my connection to Naiyah. If I didn’t have that, I would’ve had no clue what they were up to”, Jenna said “face it, Doctor, without the link to the Time Lady, I’m nothing special”.

“Whats that?” the Doctor asked looking at the cat “He says not to put yourself down”.

“Who?” Jenna asked, confused.

“The cat”, the Doctor answered. 

“The cat told you that?” Jenna asked, brows raised in surprised.

“I speak cat”

“No way”, Jenna said in disbelief.

“Yes way”

“You’re so… so...” Jenna struggled to come up with a retort “so alien”, she said. The Doctor laughed at her very feeble retort.

“Yes I am”, he said putting his hands in his pockets. Jenna shook her head at how proud he looked at that. She was going to say something when she heard a ringing. Jenna was surprised that it was coming from the TARDIS. The Doctor opened the compartment behind the panel of writing on the TARDIS.

“The bells of Saint John are ringing”, Jenna said. She shrugged when the Doctor looked at her quizzically. She had no idea why she said it, it had just come to her.

“What am I supposed to do with a ringing phone?” the Doctor asked.

“Um you answer it”, Jenna said in a ‘duh’ tone.

“You don’t understand. This phone isn’t connected”, The Doctor said getting his screwdriver out.

“Don't answer it. It's not for you” a young female voice said behind them. The Doctor and Jenna turned around to see a young woman, Nancy, standing there in a dark thick coat.

“And how do you know that?” the Doctor asked

“'Cos I do. And I'm tellin’ ya, don't answer it”, Nancy said again.

“Well, if you know so much, tell me this. How can it be ringing?” the Doctor turned back to the phone “It's not even a real phone. It's not connected, it's not…” he broke off when Jenna tapped his shoulder.

“Uh Doctor? She’s gone”, she said. The young woman had slipped away when the Doctor was talking. As the young woman was gone, the Doctor turned to Jenna.

“Should I answer it?” he asked.

“Why not? Go on Doctor live a little”, Jenna suggested.

Despite Jenna’s encouragement, he hesitantly picked up the receiver. “Hello?” silence on the other end except crackling “This is the Doctor speaking” more crackling “How may I help you?”

 _“Mummy?”_ a little boy’s voice called. Jenna just about heard it and looked at the Doctor confused. He held out the receiver and Jenna stepped closer so she could hear better.

“Who is this? Who's speaking?”

 _“Are you my mummy?”_ the child asked.

“Who is this?” Jenna asked using a tone you’d normally use for a young child.

 _“Mummy?”_ the boy asked again.

“How did you ring here? This isn't a real phone. It's not wired up to anything, it…”

_“Mummy?”_

The line then went dead. The Doctor and Jenna exchanged puzzled looks. The violet eyed girl replaced the phone back on the cradle as the Time Lord peeked inside the TARDIS calling for the blonde. Again there was no answer from Rose. Suddenly there was a crashing sound behind Jenna and the Doctor. The pair ran, following the sound out of the alley.

When they reached the street they heard a woman speak. “The planes are coming. Can't you hear them? Into the shelter. None of your nonsense, now move it!” the Doctor and Jenna climbed onto a couple of dustbins to look over the garden wall where the woman was talking. She was ushering a boy into an air raid shelter. The woman turned back to the house “Arthur! Arthur, Will you hurry up? Didn't you hear the siren?” she called.

A large man exits the house “Middle of dinner, every night. Blooming Germans” he grumbled. “Don't you eat?” he shouted at the sky. The Doctor found that rather amusing.

“The Germans are doing him a favour. He could do with losing a bit of weight”, Jenna said quietly watching him follow his wife inside the shelter. The Doctor chuckled at that. The second the family had gone in the shelter, the young woman who’d warned them not to answer the phone creeped out from behind the shelter and slipped inside the house. “What do you think Doctor? Fancy having dinner in the middle of an air raid?”

“Yes I think I do. And we can make a friend at the same time”, the Doctor said climbing down from the bin.

“Can Time Lords multitask?” Jenna asked also climbing down from her bin.

“Of course we can. We’re exceptional multitaskers”, the Doctor answered.

“Why does that surprise me”, Jenna said with a smile.

The Time travellers entered the house via the back door and hung back as several children entered through the front door. The Doctor sat at the table with the children and the young woman who’d spoken to them before. Jenna stood behind his chair staying as quiet as she could as everyone else chatted away, completely oblivious to the two adults in the room. That is until the Doctor spoke up after taking two slices of meat.

“It's all right! Everybody stay where you are!” Nancy said to the children who were startled by the Doctor and Jenna. 

“Good here, innit? Who's got the salt?” the Doctor said grinning at them. Jenna also gave them a smile. “So, you lot, what's the story?” he asked helping himself to some sauce.

“What do you mean?” the boy called Ernie asked.

“You're homeless, right? Living rough?” the Doctor questioned.

“Why do you want to know that? Are you two coppers?” Jim asked.

“Of course I'm not a copper. Jenna isn’t one either. What's a copper going to do with you lot anyway? Arrest you for starving?”

“Why aren’t you guys in the country? You should’ve all been evacuated by now”, Jenna said.

“I was evacuated. Sent me to a farm”, Alf explained.

“So why'd you come back?” the Doctor questioned.

“There was a man there”, Alf said quietly.

“Yeah, same with Ernie. Two homes ago”, Jim spoke up.

“It's better on the streets anyway. It's better food”, Ernie added.

“Yeah. Nancy always gets the best food for us”, Jim agreed.

“So, that's what you do, is it, Nancy?” the Doctor asked the young woman.

“What is?” Nancy asked.

“As soon as the sirens go, you find a big fat family meal still warm on the table with everyone down in the air raid shelter and bingo! Feeding frenzy for the homeless kids of London Town. Puddings for all! As long as the bombs don't get you”

“Something wrong with that?” Nancy asked, getting defensive.

“Wrong with it? It's brilliant. I'm not sure if it's Marxism in action or a West End musical”, the Doctor answered.

The children looked at him confused. “Why'd you two follow me? What do you want?” Nancy demanded.

“I want to know how a phone that isn't a phone gets a phone call. You seem to be the one to ask”, the Doctor replied.

“I did you a favour. I told you both not to answer it, that's all I'm telling ya”

“Great, thanks. And I want to find a blonde in a Union Jack. I mean a specific one. I didn't just wake up this morning with a craving. Anybody seen a girl like that?”

The children laughed at that. Even Jenna was slightly amused too. Nancy however wasn’t impressed, she stood up and took his plate away. “What have I done wrong?”

“You took two slices”, Nancy replied “No blondes, no flags. Anything else before you leave?”

“You got a note book and pencil?” Jenna asked the Doctor.

“Yeah” He pulled out both items from his pocket. Jenna opened it up and quickly sketched the object the Doctor had been chasing with the TARDIS.

“We’ve been looking for this”, she said showing Nancy and the children.

“It would’ve fallen out of the sky about a month ago. It wouldn’t have exploded like a bomb, just buried itself in the ground somewhere”, the Doctor explained.

Nancy looked at the drawing but didn’t say anything. Suddenly there was a knock at the window. The Doctor and Jenna went over to the window, where the violet eyed girl pulled the curtain to reveal a child wearing a gas mask.

“Mummy?” he called knocking on the glass “Are you in there, mummy?” 

“Who was the last one in?” Nancy asked urgently.

“They were”, Ernie said pointing at Jenna and the Doctor.

“No, they came round the back”, Nancy said “Who came in the front?”

“Me”, Alf replied.

“Did you close the door?” Nancy asked. When the boy hesitated, Nancy asked again “Did you close the door?” she didn’t even wait to get a reply, she just rushed out into the hallway and bolted the door.

“Mummy?” the child called through the front door.

“What's this, then? It's never easy being the only child left out in the cold, you know”, the Doctor said joining her out in the hallway with Jenna.

“It's not exactly a child”, Nancy informed them.

Jenna frowned wondering what she meant by that. She felt sorry for the child. He must be so scared being out there on his own. Both time travellers watched as the children hurried out into the hall and out the back.

“Mummy?” the boy called again. Jenna took several steps towards the front door. “Please let me in, mummy”, the child begged. A little hand with a scar on it poked through the letter box.

“Are you all right?” the Doctor asked standing beside Jenna.

“Please let me in”, the boy repeated. And object goes sailing past the Time Lord and human, smashing against the door. The child’s hand withdraws from the letter box. 

“You mustn't let him touch ya!” Nancy warned.

“What happens if he touches me?” the Doctor asked.

“He'll make you like him”, Nancy answered vaguely.

“And what's he like?” Jenna queried.

“I've got to go”, Nancy said not really wanting to spend another moment longer in the house.

“Nancy, what's he like?” the Doctor asked repeating Jenna’s question.

After a moment’s hesitation, Nancy answered “He's empty”.

The telephone rings “It's him. He can make phones ring. He can. Just like with that police box you saw” the Doctor picked up the phone.

“Are you my mummy?” the trio head the child say. Nancy snatched the receiver and slammed it back down. Radio started to play in the dining room, the child calling through it for his mum. A clockwork monkey also started up, the child’s voice also coming from it as well. Jenna looked at the shadow of the boy by the front door. _How can an ordinary child speak through all those things?_ She thought confused. Nancy left the house not wanting to stay there a moment longer.

“Doctor”, Jenna called seeing the boy stick his hand through the letter box.

“Mummy? Let me in please, mummy. Please let me in”, he pleaded.

“Your mummy isn't here”, Jenna said kneeling in front of the door, looking at his scarred hand concerned.

“Are you my mummy?” the boy asked again.

“No mummies here”, the Doctor said when he joined Jenna “Nobody here but us chickens”, he glanced back as the deserted house “Well, two chickens” he corrected.

“I'm scared”

“Why are those other children frightened of you?” the Doctor asked as Jenna stood up.

“Please let me in, mummy. I'm scared of the bombs”, the child pleaded again.

“Okay. I'm opening the door now”

The boy pulls his hand back and the Doctor draws back the bolts. When he opened the door, the boy was gone. The Doctor and Jenna walked down the path looking up and down the deserted street. There was no sign of the child.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nancy was startled when she turned around to see the Doctor and Jenna standing in the doorway of the outer house she’d just entered. “How'd you follow me here?” she asked.

“I'm good at following, me. Got the nose for it”, the Doctor told her.

“People can't usually follow me if I don't want them to”, Nancy said looking at both of them suspiciously.

“My nose has special powers”, the Doctor explained making Jenna smile.

“Yeah? That's why it's uh…” Nancy trailed off, not able to finish that sentence without cracking up.

“What?” the Doctor asked.

“Nothing”, Nancy said trying not to laugh.

“What?” the Doctor asked again.

“Nothing!” Nancy grinned “Do your ears have special powers too?” she asked teasingly.

“What are you trying to say?” the Doctor asked calmly as Jenna burst out laughing. She was aware that his ears were a bit big but that didn’t really bother her that much. She didn’t even find them funny until Nancy asked her question about them having magic powers.

“Sorry Doctor”, Jenna said when she’d finally calmed down.

“Goodnight, Mister”, Nancy said turning away. Her teasing had put a smile on her face as well as making Jenna laugh.

“Nancy, there's something chasing you and the other kids. Looks like a boy and it isn't a boy, and it started about a month ago, right?” Nancy turned back to the pair “The thing I'm looking for, the thing that fell from the sky, that's when it landed. And you know what I'm talking about, don't you?”

“There was a bomb. A bomb that wasn't a bomb. Fell the other end of Limehouse Green Station”, Nancy replied.

“Take us there”, the Doctor said/ordered.

“There's soldiers guarding it. Barbed wire. You'll never get through”, Nancy insisted.

“Won’t stop us”, Jenna said confidently.

“You sure you want to know what's going on in there?” Nancy asked both of them.

“I really want to know”, The Doctor insisted.

“Ditto”, Jenna agreed.

“Then there's someone you need to talk to first”, Nancy said.

“And who might that be?” the Doctor asked.

“The Doctor”, Nancy replied. She turns away, missing the confused look the Doctor’s face.

\---------------------

Even after Nancy showed them where the bomb was, she still insisted that they go see the Doctor first. When Jenna asked why, Nancy replied with “Cos then maybe you won’t wanna get inside. After talking a little longer, the two time travellers parted ways with Nancy. They carried on walking down the steps towards the hospital. When they reached the gate, the Doctor uses is sonic on the padlock. He and Jenna then entered the hospital grounds.

The pair walked through a darkened ward where rows and rows of patents lay on beds, completely lifeless and still wearing gas masks. “This is really strange”, Jenna commented quietly looking at them as she passed. The Doctor agreed with her, it was rather strange. They entered yet another ward, unlike the previous one it was dimly lit. It too had numerous people on beds wearing gasmasks. The Doctor and Jenna turned when they heard a noise behind them. An older man wearing a white doctor’s coat entered the ward.

“You'll find them everywhere. In every bed, in every ward. Hundreds of them”, he said.

“Yes, I saw. Why are they still wearing gas masks?” the Doctor asked.

“They're not. Who are you?” the man, Doctor Constantine questioned.

“Are you the doctor?” Jenna asked him.

“Doctor Constantine”, the old man replied “And you are?”

“Nancy sent us”, the Doctor said quickly. 

Dr Constantine’s eyes widened at his answer “Nancy? That means you must've been asking about the bomb”, he said.

“Yes”, Jenna confirmed.

“What do you know about it?” Doctor Constantine asked walking slowly over to a chair, leaning heavily on his cane as he did so.

“Nothing”, the Doctor replied “That’s why we were asking. What do you know?”

“Only what it's done”, Constantine said vaguely.

“These people, they were all caught up in the blast?” the Doctor asked looking at the patients.

“None of them were” Doctor Constantine laughs slightly but it turns into a nasty cough. He sits down at the chair.

“You're very sick”, Jenna said sympathetically.

“Dying, I should think” Constantine corrected her “I just haven't been able to find the time. Are either of you a doctor?”

“I have my moments”, the Doctor replied. Doctor Constantine then told him to examine any one of the patients warning him not to touch the flesh. The Doctor went to a random patient and scanned him with his sonic. 

“Conclusions?” Doctor Constantine asked.

“Massive head trauma, mostly to the left side…” the Doctor ran his screwdriver over the patient’s chest “Partial collapse of the chest cavity, mostly to the right. There's some scarring on the back of the hand and the gas mask seems to be fused to the flesh, but I can't see any burns”

“Examine another one”, Doctor Constantine instructed and the Doctor did so. He found that the other patient had the same symptoms, gasmask fused to the face and a scar on the back of the hand. The Doctor turns his screwdriver off and turned to Doctor Constantine.

“This isn't possible” the Time Lord goes to another bed and the results are the same. “They've all got the same injuries”, he said thoroughly confused.

Doctor Constantine nodded “Yes”, he said.

“Exactly the same”, the Doctor repeated.

“How can that be?” Jenna questioned “I can understand having the same symptoms if you’ve caught the same illness but the same injuries?” she shook her head “that’s impossible”.

“And yet, it has happened”, Doctor Constantine said.

“How did this happen?” the Doctor questioned “How did it start?”

“When that bomb dropped, there was just one victim”, Doctor Constantine answered.

“Dead?” Jenna asked.

“At first. His injuries were truly dreadful. By the following morning, every doctor and nurse who had treated him, who had touched him, had those exact same injuries. By the morning after that, every patient in the same ward, the exact same injuries. Within a week, the entire hospital. Physical injuries as plague”, Doctor Constantine explained “Can you explain that? What would you say was the cause of death?”

“The head trauma”, the Doctor guessed.

“No”, Doctor Constantine shook his head.

“Asphyxiation”, the Doctor said trying again.

“No”, Doctor Constantine repeated.

“The collapse of the chest cavity…” the Doctor said.

“No”, Doctor Constantine said for the third time.

“All right. What was the cause of death?” the Doctor asked. He’d just listed off all the things that these people had but Constantine still told him ‘no’. So what was the cause of death then?

“There wasn't one”, Jenna replied looking between patients “They're not dead”. 

“The young lady is correct”, Dr Constantine said. He hit a waste basket with his cane, the noise making all the patients sit up in their beds. The Doctor pulled Jenna behind him ready to protect her against the gas masked people. “It's all right. They're harmless”, Dr Constantine assured him “They just sort of sit there. No heartbeat, no life signs of any kind. They just don't die”.

“And they've just been left here? Nobody's doing anything?” the Doctor asked.

Jenna stood beside the Doctor as the patients laid down on the beds. “I try and make them comfortable” Doctor Constantine replied “What else is there?”

“Just you? You're the only one here?” the Doctor questioned, surprised.

“Before this war began, I was a father and a grandfather. Now I am neither. But I'm still a doctor”, Doctor Constantine told him.

The Doctor could relate to Doctor Constantine. He too once had a family but they were gone now as where the rest of his people. “Yeah. I know the feeling”, the Doctor admitted. Jenna took his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze to let him know that at this moment he wasn’t alone. The Doctor looked at her and she gave him a small smile. The Time Lord returned it. He was glad that he had Jenna with him, her link to Naiyah made him feel not so lonely as it was almost like the Time Lady was there. 

“I suspect the plan is to blow up the hospital and blame it on a German bomb”, Doctor Constantine told them.

“Probably too late”, the Doctor said gesturing to the beds.

“No. They are isolated cases. But… isolated cases breaking out all over London…” the Doctor took several steps towards him “Stay back, stay back” Constantine warned him while coughing “Listen to me... Top floor. Room 802. That's where they took the first victim, the one from the crash site. And you must find Nancy again”.

“Why?” Jenna asked. 

“It was her brother. She knows more than she's saying. She won't tell me… but she might mi…mi…” Doctor Constantine gags and clutches his neck “m…mu…me…”

Both the Doctor and Jenna watched concerned as speech as becoming more difficult for Doctor Constantine “Are… you… my mum-my?” Jenna’s eyes widened horrified as part of a gasmask started to protrude from Doctor Constantine’s mouth. She turned away unable to watch. 

“It’s ok Jenna. Its over”, the Doctor said when the gasmask had completely fused to the man’s face. She looked back at Doctor Constantine who was slumped over in the chair.

“I am never ever watching horror movies”, she said “that was horrible enough”.

The Doctor was going to say something when they both heard Rose and an American man call out hello. The pair went out into the corridor to find Rose walking up with and an unfamiliar man “Good evening”, the man greeted cheerfully “Hope we're not interrupting. Jack Harkness. I've been hearing all about the both of you on the way over”, Jack shaking the Doctor’s hand.

“He knows about us being Time Agents”, Rose said to the Doctor and Jenna. The Doctor nods knowing to play along while Jenna looked at her friend a little confused.

“And it’s a pleasure to meet you Mr Spock”, Jack said patting the Doctor heartily on the shoulder. “Let me guess this is the lovely Jenna”, the American said turning his attention to Jenna.

“Nice to meet you”, Jenna said extending her hand. She felt a little better now she was out of that hospital ward. She was surprised when he brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it. For some reason the Doctor didn’t like that at all.

“And it’s a pleasure to meet you”, Jack said winking at her. Jenna pulled her hand out of his. The American was rather attractive to her but she wasn’t interested in him at all. 

“You’re cute Jack but you’re not my type, I don’t go for 51st century guys. I prefer ones from my century”, Jenna stated bluntly. 

Jack looked at her surprised “how did you know what century I’m from?” he asked curious.

“Because Jenna’s clever”, the Doctor said, answering the question for her. He knew that it wasn’t easy for her to explain how she knew what she knew, especially when that knowledge comes from her connection to a dead Time Lady. Jack then walks past the Doctor and Jenna down the corridor.

“Mr Spock?” the Doctor asked Rose.

“What was I supposed to say? You don't have a name. Don't you ever get tired of ‘Doctor’? Doctor who?”

“Nine centuries in, I'm coping” the Doctor “Where've you been? We're in the middle of a London Blitz. It's not a good time for a stroll”

“Who's strolling?” Rose walking past them and the Doctor and Jenna followed “I went by barrage balloon. Only way to see an air raid”

“Really? How much fun was it?” Jenna asked curiously.

“Hanging from a rope several hundred feet in the air with explosions going on under me…isn’t much fun at all”, Rose told her.

“Good thing I missed it”, Jenna remarked.

“Listen, what's a Chula warship?” Rose asked the Doctor.

The Time Lord stopped walking “Chula?” he asked, puzzled.

“Thanks”, Jenna said quietly to Naiyah. She’d appeared in the hallway after Jack had made his introduction.

“You’re welcome”, Naiyah said.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“This just isn't possible. How did this happen?” Jack said scanning one of the patients with the device on his wrist.

“What kind of Chula ship landed here?” the Doctor asked.

“What?” Jack asked glancing over at him.

“He said it was a warship. He stole it, parked it somewhere out there, somewhere a bomb's going to fall on it unless we make him an offer”, Rose explained.

“What kind of warship?” the Doctor asked as Jack moved across the room to examine another patient.

“Does it matter?” Jack asked agitated “It's got nothing to do with this”. 

The Doctor took several steps towards the man “This started at the bomb site. It's got everything to do with it. What kind of warship?” he asked angrily.

“An ambulance!” Jack turns on his wrist device to show the three of them a hologram of the ambulance “That's what you chased through the Time Vortex. Its space junk. I wanted to kid you it was valuable. It's empty. I made sure of it. Nothing but a shell. I threw it at you. Saw your time travel vehicle, love the retro look, by the way, nice panels. Threw you the bait…”

“Bait?” Rose asked, brows raised.

“It was a con Rose. Jack was going to sell us the ambulance and then destroy it before we found out it was junk”, Jenna explained, repeating what Naiyah said “did I miss anything out Jack?”

“You covered everything there Jenna”, Jack said, once again surprised by the brunette.

“Told you she was clever”, the Doctor said proudly. He gave her a smile which she returned. Jenna couldn’t really take credit as she was just repeating what Naiyah had said. She really needed to tell the Doctor about seeing the young Time Lady. _After this I’ll tell him_ she thought, making a mental note.

“I only was conning you because I thought you were Time Agents. But you’re not are you?” Jack asked.

“Just three more freelancers”, Rose admitted.

“Ahh…should have known. The way you guys are blending in with the local colour. I mean, Flag Girl was bad enough, but U-Boat Captain and checkered shirt?” the trio looked uncomfortably at their clothes. Jenna didn’t think her blue checked shirt was as bad as Rose’s flag shirt. “Anyway…whatever's happening here has got nothing to do with that ship”, Jack said.

Rose looked around at the patients “What is happening here, Doctor?” she asked.

“Human DNA is being rewritten… by an idiot”, the Doctor replied glaring at Jack.

“What do you mean?” Rose questioned.

“I don't know. Some kind of virus converting human beings into these things” the Doctor nods at the bodies “But why? What's the point?” he turned to Jenna “any ideas?”

Jenna shook her head “no. sorry”, she answered. She watched Naiyah approach one of the patients, eyeing him curiously. Suddenly all the patients sit up in the beds, making the Time Lady step back.

“What's happening?” Rose asked as all the patients started calling mummy.

“I don't know”, the Doctor said. The four of the started backing up as Doctor Constantine stood along with the patients.

“Don't let them touch you”, Jenna warned as the gas-masked people closed in on them.

“What happens if they touch us?” Rose asked.

“You're looking at it”, the Doctor replied. The patients continued to advance on the Time Lord and three humans, who’ve now been backed against a wall. Jenna takes the Doctor’s hand as they get surrounded by gas-masked people who were still calling out mummy.

**To be continued…**


	9. The Doctor Dances

“Tell them off Jenna”, Naiyah muttered making the brunette glance at her, confused “Tell them off like you were their mother. It’ll work, trust me”.

Jenna looked at the patients and underneath her shirt, the locket pulsed with a golden light. The teen suddenly felt this wave of courage and before it could fade, she stepped forward and said as sternly as possible “Go to your room” the patients stopped their advances “Go to your room!” Jenna ordered again. The group watched all the patients tilt their heads in unison “I mean it! I'm very, very angry with you. I am _extremely_ cross! Go… to… your… room!” Jenna shouted pointing her hand towards patients’ beds. They all relaxed when the patients hung their heads and moved away from them, back to their respective beds. 

“Remind me never to get on your bad side”, Jack remarked.

“Too late for that Captain”, Jenna said giving him a look. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Naiyah vanish.

“I’m just glad that worked”, the Doctor commented.

“You doubted it would?” Jenna asked, turning to him.

“I didn’t”, Rose spoke up, wandering over to a chair near one of the beds and sitting down on it.

“Et tu Doctor?” Jenna asked the Time Lord.

“I didn’t doubt it either Jenna”, the Doctor answered quickly “I’m just saying that I’m glad it worked”.

“So why are they all wearing gas masks?” Rose asked.

“They're not. Those masks are flesh and bone”, Jack said settling down in a chair.

“How was your con supposed to work?” the Doctor asked. Jack launched into the explanation of the con, if it had worked.

“The perfect self-cleaning con”, Jack finished.

“Yeah. Perfect”, the Doctor said sarcastically.

“The London Blitz is great for self-cleaners. Pompeii's nice if you want to make a vacation of it though, but you've got to set your alarm for volcano day” Jack laughed at his own joke. Both the Doctor and Jenna looked at him clearly not impressed “Getting a hint of disapproval”.

“20,000 people died when Vesuvius erupted. And you’re making a joke out of it?” Jenna snapped “Take a look around the room. This is what your harmless piece of space-junk did” she stormed off. The Doctor, Rose and Jack followed after her. 

“It was a burnt-out medical transporter. It was empty”, Jack insisted “I even programmed the flight computer so it wouldn't land on anything living. I harmed no-one. I don't know what's happening here, but believe me, I had nothing to do with it”.

The Doctor stopped and turn to him “I'll tell you what's happening. You forgot to set your alarm clock. Its volcano day”, he said angrily.

A siren went off in the distance “What's that?” Rose asked looking up.

“The all clear”, Jack replied.

“I wish”, the Doctor muttered before walking off, wanting to catch up with Jenna before she got too far. He caught her at the foot of a set of stairs.

“Sorry for storming off Doctor but that guy is an idiot! And an insensitive one at that. Making jokes about Pompeii”, Jenna shook her head, disgusted.

“I know he is an idiot”, the Doctor agreed. Jenna looked up the stairs, a thoughtful expression appearing on her face.

“Doctor Constantine said room 802 is where they took the first victim, right?” she asked.

“He did”, the Doctor confirmed “what are you thinking?”

“Stairs”, Jenna said nodding to them “802 is on the top floor”.

“Let’s go check it out then”, the Doctor said.

“What about Rose?” Jenna asked “shouldn’t we at least wait for her?”

“I’ll wait, you go ahead”, the Doctor replied.

“You sure?” Jenna asked “you always say not to wander off”.

“I trust you not to do anything too crazy Jenna”, the Doctor said and the brunette grinned.

“I’ll keep the crazy to a minimum”, she said and gave him a scout salute “scouts honour” and with that she headed up the stairs while the Doctor waited for Rose and Jack. It didn’t take her long to reach room 802 and there she stood waiting for the Doctor, Rose and Jack.

She wasn’t lingering by the secure metal door for very long when the trio joined her. Jack used his blaster on the lock, leaving behind a square hole where it used it be. Jenna entered the room and flicked the light on. The room looked like it had been vandalised. Filing cabinets tipped over, electronic equipment broken. The observation window across the room was smashed. “Had some cowboys in here”, Jenna commented. She entered through the open door that lead to the room behind the broken observation window. The walls and floors were covered with drawings. She looked back when she heard Jack, Rose and the Doctor come in.

“How could a child do this?” Rose asked joining her in the room. The Doctor turned on a tape machine.

 _“Do you know where you are?”_ Doctor Constantine asked

_“Are you my mummy?”_

_“Are you aware of what's around you? Can you see?”_ Constantine questioned.

 _“Are you my mummy?”_ the boy repeated.

_“What do you want? Do you know…”_

_“I want my mummy. Are you my mummy? I want my mummy! Are you my mummy? Are you my mummy? Mummy? Mummy?_ ”

“Doctor, I've heard this voice before”, Rose said recognising it.

“So have Jenna and I”, the Doctor said.

 _“Mummy?_ ”

“Always ‘are you my mummy?’ Like he doesn't know”, Rose continued.

_“Mummy?”_

“But why doesn't he know?” Jenna asked.

_“Are you there, mummy? Mummy?”_

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The recording continued with the child still asking for its mummy. “Can you sense it?” the Doctor asked pacing around the child’s room.

“Sense what?” Jack asked.

“Coming out of the walls. Can you feel it?” the Doctor questioned.

_“Mummy?”_

The Doctor stopped pacing and looked at Rose, Jenna and Jack “funny little human brains, how do you get around in those things?”

Jenna rolled her eyes. She knew he was stressed hence why he was insulting humans. She went out into the other room where the tape recorder was. Jenna stood in front of it and looked down at the tape reels spinning.

_“Mummy, please?”_

“Suppose they were there when this thing, whatever it was, landed?” the Doctor asked making Jenna look up.

“It was a med-ship. It was harmless”, Jack insisted.

“Yes, you keep saying ‘harmless’. Suppose one of them was affected, altered?” the Time Lord asked.

“Altered how?” Rose asked. A crackling noise caught Jenna’s attention and she glanced down. Her eyes widened when she saw the tape had ended.

“I'm here!” the child shouted behind her. Jenna turned quickly to see the boy standing in the door way. _Stupid Jen, you sent the child to his room! This IS his room!_ the brunette thought as she edged back towards the doorway to the child’s room without taking her eyes off the child. The Doctor, Rose and Jack then noticed the gas-masked child’s appearance. The Time Lord darted forward and grabbed Jenna’s wrist, pulling her backwards as the child advanced.

“On my signal make for the door. Now!” Jack produces a banana from his belt and points it at the child like a weapon. The Doctor grins and pulled the sonic blaster from his own belt. He uses it on the wall and ushered Jenna and Rose through.

“Don't drop the banana!” the Doctor said to Jack as he hopped though.

“Why not?!” Jack questioned as he followed the Time Lord.

“Good source of potassium!”

Jack snatched his blaster back from the Doctor and repaired the wall. “Digital rewind” he explained. Jack then tossed the banana at the Doctor who caught it “Nice switch”, he said.

“It's from the groves of Villengard. I thought it was appropriate”, the Doctor said.

“There's really a banana grove in the heart of Villengard and you did that?” Jack asked.

“Bananas are good” the Doctor stated.

“They are unlike beans”, Jenna said “Beans are evil. Bad, bad beans”.

The child thumped on the wall on the other side, making it crack. They hurried along the corridor and down a flight of stairs. The three of them didn’t make it very far until they encountered gas-masked patients bursting out of the ward calling mummy. The quartet hastily backtracked but they find another group of gas-masked patients. Jack, Jenna and the Doctor found themselves back at the wall where the child was trying to break through. “It's keeping us here till it can get at us”

“It's controlling them?” Jack asked pointing his blaster at every direction.

“It _is_ them”, the Doctor corrected “It's every living thing in this hospital”. 

“Okay. This can function as a sonic blaster, a sonic cannon, and as a triple-enfolded sonic disrupter”, Jack said “Doc, what you got?”

The Doctor got out his sonic screwdriver from his pocket “I've got a sonic, er… Oh, never mind”

“What?” Jack asked.

“It's sonic, okay? Let's leave it at that” the Doctor said turning to face the second group of gas-masked people turning his sonic on and pointing it at them.

“Disrupter? Cannon? What?” Jack pressed.

“It's sonic! Totally sonic! I am soniced up!” the Doctor said loudly.

“A sonic what?!” Jack demanded.

“Screwdriver!” the Time Lord shouted.

Jack turned to him as the child breaks through the wall. Rose grabbed Jack’s wrist and makes him point his blaster at the floor. “Going down!” she warns before firing the weapon.

The four fell through the hole and landed in a messy heap. Jack quickly got to his feet and used his sonic blaster to repair the ceiling. “Doctor, are you okay?” Rose asked standing.

“Could've used a warning”, the Doctor grumbled getting up. He turned to Jenna “you ok?”

“Yeah”, she lied trying to ignore the pain in her ankle.

“Who has a sonic screwdriver?” Jack asked.

“I do”, the Doctor said.

“Lights”, Rose said looking around for a light switch in the ward they’d fallen into.

“Who looks at a screwdriver and thinks, ‘ooo, this could be a little more sonic?’” Jack sassed.

“What, you've never been bored?” the Doctor said indignantly.

Hey don’t diss the sonic”, Jenna said “the sonic is cool”.

“Thank you Jenna”, the Doctor said glad she was defending the sonic. He was watching Jenna stand there avoiding putting too much weight on her left foot. “Are you sure you’re ok?” he asked.

“Yep fine”, she lied again. The Doctor used his sonic and scanned her left foot.

“You’ve sprained it”, he said reading the results. “Why did you lie?” he asked putting his arm around her waist to support her.

“I didn’t want to make a fuss”, Jenna replied. Rose managed to find the light switch and turned the lights on. The patients is the beds sat up and started calling mummy.

“Door”, Jack said and he and Rose rushed towards it while the Doctor helped Jenna along. The American tried to blast the door open but the weapon doesn’t work. He moved back to allow the Doctor to open the door with his sonic. Jenna leaned against the wall while he worked on getting the door open.

“It's the special features. They really drain the battery”, Jack explained.

“The battery?!” Rose said surprised. The gun wasn’t so cool to her after all. The Doctor got the door open and helped Jenna in the room. “That's so lame!”

The Doctor slams the door shut after Jack and Rose entered. “I was going to send for another one, but somebody's got to blow up the factory”, Jack said running to the barred window.

“Oh, I know. First day I met him, he blew my job up” Rose said understanding “That's practically how he communicates”.

“Okay, that door should hold it for a bit”, the Doctor said after he’d locked the door with his sonic. He then helped Jenna sit down in the wheelchair.

“The door? The wall didn't stop it!” Jack exclaimed.

“It’s got to find us first”, Jenna pointed out.

“Come on, we're not done yet! Assets, assets!” the Doctor urged.

“Well, I've got a banana, and in a pinch you could put up some shelves”, Jack said leaning on the wall.

“Window”, the Doctor said going to it.

“Barred, Sheer drop outside. Seven stories”, Jack answered.

“And no other exits”, the Doctor added.

“Well, the assets conversation went in a flash, didn't it?” Jack commented. The Doctor turns and eyes him for a moment, then looks at Rose.

“So, where'd you pick this one up, then?” he asked.

“Doctor…” Rose said warningly.

“She was hanging from a barrage balloon, I had an invisible spaceship. I never stood a chance”, Jack said. Rose stood there looking rather uncomfortable. Jenna rolled her eyes.

“Oh please”, she muttered.

“Okay. One, we've got to get out of here”, the Doctor stated “Two, we can't get out of here. Have I missed anything?”

“Yeah Jack just disappeared”, Jenna replied rubbing her ankle. The Doctor spun around to see that the American was no longer there.

The Time Lord sighed in annoyance and then knelt in front of Jenna checking her ankle “does this hurt?” he asked.

The girl shook her head “no, not really. Just aches now”, she replied “I’m not lying this time”, she added wiggling her foot “see it’s much better”. The Doctor wasn’t sure if she was just saying that to stop him worrying.

“I want you to rest that foot, Doctor’s orders”, the Doctor said standing.

Jenna gave him a mock salute “yes sir”, she said.

He went over to the barred window to inspect it. “Okay, so he's vanished into thin air. Why is it always the great looking ones who do that?” Rose asked Jenna. The Doctor glanced back at her.

“I'm making an effort not to be insulted”, he said.

“Don’t be. You’re pretty good looking too Doctor”, Jenna said giving him a smile.

An old radio in the room suddenly crackled to life and Jack’s voice sounded “Rose? Jenna? Doctor? Can you hear me?” the Doctor and Rose went over to it while Jenna stayed put. “I'm back on my ship. Used the emergency teleport. Sorry I couldn't take you. It's security-keyed to my molecular structure. I'm working on it. Hang in there”.

“How're you speaking…?” the Doctor started.

“Om-Com”, Jenna interrupted “which is a problem”.

“Why is it a problem?” Jack asked.

“The child can Om-Com, too”, the Doctor replied.

“He can?” Rose asked surprised.

“Anything with a speaker grill”, the Doctor explained.

“Like the TARDIS phone”, Jenna said and the Doctor nodded.

“Exactly”, he said.

“And I can hear you. Coming to find you. Coming to fiiiind you”, the child spoke in a sing song voice through the radio.

“Doctor, can you hear that?” Jack asked.

“Loud and clear”, the Doctor answered.

“I'll try to block out the signal. Least I can do”, Jack said. Then _Moonlight Serenade_ started to play. “Remember this one, Rose?”

“Our song”, Rose said quietly embarrassed.

\------------

A little later Rose was wandering around the room bored. Jenna shifted the wheelchair around just as bored as she was. The Doctor was at the window working on loosening the bars with his sonic. “What you doing?” Rose asked.

“Trying to set up a resonation pattern in the concrete, loosen the bars”, the Doctor explained.

“You don't think he's coming back, do ya?” Rose asked.

“Wouldn't bet my life”, the Doctor answered.

“Why don't you trust him?” Rose questioned to which the Doctor countered with

“Why do you?”

“He saved my life. Bloke-wise, that's up there with flossing” the Doctor doesn’t answer “I trust him because he's like you”, the blonde continued “Except with dating and dancing” the Doctor shot the blond a look “What?”

“You just assume I'm… the Doctor trailed off.

“What?” Rose pressed.

“You just assume that I don't…dance”, the Doctor said.

“What, are you telling me you _do_ dance?” Rose said grinning.

“Nine hundred years old, me. I've been around a bit. I think you can assume at some point I've danced”, the Time Lord told her.

Rose raised her eyebrows “You?” she asked, skeptically.

“I bet you’ve got some good moves Doctor”, Jenna said from the wheelchair.

The Doctor looked at the girl “Well, I wouldn't want to boast Jenna”, he said.

“Of course you wouldn’t”, Jenna muttered. 

Rose went over to radio and turned the volume up. The Doctor looked around completely wrong footed. Jenna watched Rose walk up to the Doctor and hold out her hand “You've got the moves? Show me your moves”, she said.

“Rose, I'm trying to resonate concrete”, the Doctor said focusing on trying to loosen the bars with his sonic.

“Jack will be back. He'll get us out. So come on. The world doesn't end ‘cos the Doctor dances”, Rose said.

The Doctor turns off his sonic, pockets it and turned to her. “Barrage balloon?” he asked looking at her hand. Her skin was unmarked by injuries.

“What?” Rose asked, confused.

“You were hanging from a barrage balloon”, the Doctor repeated taking her hand and looking it over. Rose didn’t have any cuts or bruises. “You were hanging from a rope thousands feet above London. Not a cut, not a bruise”.

“Yeah, I know. Captain Jack fixed me up”, Rose said.

“Oh, we're calling him ‘Captain Jack’ now, are we?” the Doctor teased.

“Well, his name's Jack and he's a Captain…” Rose began when the Doctor cut in with

“He's not really a Captain, Rose”

“Do you know what I think? I think you're experiencing Captain Envy” Rose said “You'll find your feet at the end of your legs. You may care to move them” the blonde girl tried to get the Doctor to dance but he just stood there.

“If ever he was a Captain, he's been defrocked”, the Doctor remarked.

Rose smiled “Yeah? Shame I missed that”, she said.

“Actually, I quit. Nobody takes my frock”, Jack said. Jenna was taken off guard from being teleported and as she’d been sitting down at the time, she ended up on the floor. The Doctor helped her to her feet and sat her down on a box. “Sorry about the delay”, Jack apologised “I had to take the nav-com offline to override the teleport security”.

Jenna raised an eye brow “You can spend ten minutes overriding your own protocols?” she asked.

“Maybe you should remember whose ship it is”, the Doctor added.

“Oh, I do. She was gorgeous. Like I told her, be back in five minutes” Jack ducked into a compartment under the console.

“This is a Chula ship”, the Doctor said looking around.

“Yeah, just like that medical transporter. Only this one is dangerous”, Jack called from the compartment. The Doctor snaps his fingers and the golden glow envelopes his hands.

“They're what fixed my hands up Jack called them um…” Rose trailed off as she tried to recall what Jack had called them.

“Nanogenes”, Jenna said looking at the golden specs surrounding the Doctor’s hands.

“Sub-atomic robots. There's millions of them in here, see? Burned my hand on the console when we landed. All better now. They activate when the bulk head's sealed. Check you out for damage, fix any physical flaws”, the Doctor waves his hand to get the nanogenes to move to Jenna’s ankle. “Take us to the crash site. I need to see your space junk”.

“As soon as I get the nav-com back online”, Jack said as if he was being nagged “Make yourself comfortable. Carry on with whatever it was you were doing”. 

“We were talking about dancing”, the Doctor said quickly.

“It didn't look like talking”, Jack remarked.

“It didn't feel like dancing”, Rose muttered.

“I agreed with you there Rose”, Jenna said waving the nanogenes away, her ankle no longer aching “it did _not_ look like dancing”.

\--------------------------

“You’re gonna need the Doctor’s screwdriver”, Naiyah said quietly to Jenna, having appeared when they watched Jack walk towards his friend Algy.

“How come?” Jenna murmured back.

“I’ll show you”, Naiyah replied.

“Well, he’s not just going to give it to me”, Jenna said, nodding to the Doctor who was chatting away to Rose.

“Trust me, he will”, the Time Lady assured her.

The brunette took a breath “ok, here goes”, she breathed “Doctor?” she called “would it be ok if I borrowed screwdriver?” 

“Sure”, the Doctor said, taking it out of his pocket and held it out to her “Be careful”, he said.

“I will”, Jenna promised. She pocketed the sonic and took off in a different direction, following Naiyah into the bomb site. The Time Lady managed to get her in without being spotted which she was thankful for. Jenna entered the shed where Nancy chained to a table, singing a lullaby to a gas-masked man. Jenna gestured for her to keep going as she freed her with the sonic.

“Thanks Jenna”, Nancy said rubbing his wrists.

“You’re welcome”, Jenna said “Listen Nancy I need you to stay here and wait for my friends” she hands her the sonic “give this back to the man with the leather jacket. And remember mother knows best” with that she took off to where the ambulance was. She pulled off the tarpaulin to reveal the Chula ambulance. There was also an envelope stuck to it.

“Oooh, you’ve got mail”, the Time Lady sing songed as Jenna tore it open.

The letter was short but sweet. It basically told her to type in a code into the control panel and gave her a heads up as to what it’ll do. That part of the letter she understood but what she didn’t get was the bit about not telling the Doctor about seeing Naiyah nor showing him the letter.

“Why does RS want me to…” Jenna trailed off when she saw that Niayah had vanished “never mind”. She shook her head, stuffed the letter into her pocket and got to work on the control panel. As soon as she finished typing the code into the panel, it sparked and an alarm sounded “calling all troops”, she murmured, repeating the words in the letter.

“What have you done?!” the Doctor exclaimed, running up to her.

“Wasn’t me. It’s the emergency protocols”, Jenna said “It’s calling all troops”.

“The gas-masked people are coming here?” Rose asked looking worried.

“Yep”, Jenna answered, popping the p.

“So why do you look so happy about it?” Rose questioned.

“You’ll just have to wait and see”, Jenna replied “just trust me Rose. Everything is going to work out”, she assured her.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Just relax guys”, Jenna said as the gas-masked people appeared at the gate.

“Good little soldiers, waiting for their commander”, the Doctor commented when the gas-masked people stopped. He knew that the nanogenes changed to people to look like the child, gas mask on the face and scar on the hand. He also knew that as the ambulance was meant for war the nanogenes equipped and programme those effected, ready for the front line.

“The child?” Jack asked.

“Jamie”, Nancy corrected.

“So how long until the bomb falls?” Rose asked Jack.

“Any second”, Jack said looking up.

“What's the matter, Captain?” the Doctor looked at Jack “A bit close to the volcano for you?”

“He's just a little boy”, Nancy breathed.

“I know”, the Doctor said softly.

“He's just a little boy who wants his mummy”, Nancy said tearing up. Jenna put a hand on her shoulder.

“Mother knows best Nancy”, she reminded her. When Rose and the Doctor looked at her, Jenna explained “Nancy is Jamie’s mother. As she was only young when she had him, she lied. Told him that he was her brother”.

“The bomb. We've got seconds”, Jack said.

“So it's volcano day” the Doctor stated “Do what you've got to do”. The former Time Agent vanished.

The gate opens and Jamie stands there “Are you my mummy?” he asked.

“He's going to keep asking, Nancy. He's never going to stop”, the Doctor said.

“Mummy?” Jamie questioned again.

“Tell him Nancy”, Jenna said “trust me”.

Nancy nodded and walked forward as does Jamie. “Are you my mummy?” the boy asked for the third time.

“Yes, I am your mummy”, Nancy told him

“Mummy?”

“I'm here”, Nancy said stopping.

“Are you my mummy?”

“I'm here”, she repeated kneeling down in front of Jamie.

“Are you my mummy?”

“I am your mummy. I will always be your mummy. I'm so sorry. I am so, so sorry”, Nancy said sincerely, tears in her eyes. The young woman then took the boy into his arms and a cloud of Nanogenes surround them.

The Doctor watched what was happening excited. Jenna looked equally happy “Come on, please. Come on, you clever little Nanogenes. Figure it out!” he urged “The mother, she's the mother. It's got to be enough information. Figure it out”.

“What's happening?” Rose asked.

“It’s recognising the same DNA”, Jenna told her.

Nancy fell away from Jamie as the nanogenes disappeared. Rose, Jenna and the Doctor rush over. “Oh, come on. Give me a day like this”, the Doctor said hardly daring to hope “Give me this one”. He removes Jamie’s gas mask, revealing a little boy underneath. He laughed ecstatically picking the boy up “Ha-ha! Welcome back! Twenty years till pop music - you're going to love it”.

“What happened?” Nancy asked looking at her son in wonder.

“The Nanogenes recognised the superior information, the parent DNA. They didn't change you because you changed them! Like Jenna said mother knows best”.

“Oh, Jamie”, Nancy said happily as the Doctor set him down on the ground. She hugged him again. A bomb fell nearby bringing them back to reality.

“Doctor, that bomb…” Rose started.

“Taken care of it”, the Doctor assured the blonde.

“How?” Rose asked.

“Psychology”, he replied gesturing at Nancy and Jamie.

The bomb hurtles towards them and is suddenly stopped when it got caught by a blue force field. A moment later, Jack appeared sitting astride the bomb. “Doctor!” he called down to him.

“Good lad!” the Doctor cheered.

“The bomb's already commenced detonation. I've put it in stasis but it won't last long”, Jack explained.

“Change of plan. Don't need the bomb. Can you get rid of it, safely as you can?” the Doctor asked.

Jack nodded and bid Rose and Jenna farewell. The remaining humans and time lord watched Jack’s ship fly away. “What are you doing?” Jenna asked as the Doctor summoned the nanogenes.

“Software patch. Going to email the upgrade. You want moves Jenna? I'll give you moves”, he said.

The Doctor threw the nanogenes away, towards the gas mask people. He grinned as they all fell to the ground, nanogenes surrounding them. “Everybody lives! Just this once, everybody lives!” the Doctor said ecstatically. Jenna followed the Doctor as he went to talk to Doctor Constantine.

“Doctor Constantine. Who never left his patients. Back on your feet, constant doctor. The world doesn't want to get by without you just yet, and I don't blame it one bit” the Doctor gestured to the former gas masked people “These are your patients. All better now”.

“Yes, yes…so it seems. They also seem to be standing around in a disused railway station. Is there any particular reason for that?” Doctor Constantine asked confused.

“Cut backs”, Jenna explained simply.

“Listen, whatever was wrong with them in the past, you're probably going to find that they're cured. Just tell them what a great doctor you are. Don't make a big thing of it. Okay?”

The Doctor took Jenna’s hand and walked quickly back to Rose, Nancy and Jamie. He let go of Jenna’s hand and climbed on top of the Chula ambulance “Right, you lot. Lots to do. Beat the Germans, save the world. Don't forget the welfare state!” the Doctor said loudly to Doctor Constantine who smiles. The Time Lord jumped down and went to work on the control panel. “Setting this to self-destruct, soon as everybody's clear. History says there was an explosion here. Who am I to argue with history?”

“Usually the first in line”, Rose pointed out.

The trio entered the TARDIS, the Doctor still extremely happy. “The Nanogenes will clean up the mess and switch themselves off, because I just told them to. Nancy and Jamie will go to Doctor Constantine for help, ditto. All in all, all things considered, fantastic!”

Rose and Jenna both smiled at his enthusiasm. “Look at you, beaming away like you're Father Christmas”

“Who says I'm not, red bicycle when you were twelve?” the Doctor said quickly.

Rose stared at him surprised “What?” she asked.

The Doctor threw out his arms “And everybody lives! Everybody lives! I need more days like this”, he said happily.

“Doctor…” Rose began.

“Go on, ask me anything. I'm on fire!” the Time Lord continued.

“What about Jack?” Jenna asked, the Doctor’s grin faded “Why'd he say goodbye?”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jack was surprised to hear Moonlight Serenade playing behind him. He spins his chair around to see Rose and the Doctor in a rather awkward position. “Oi Harkness! Move!” Jenna shouted at him. Jack leaps to his feet and runs out of his ship and into the TARDIS. The violet eyed girl quickly closed the doors. She turned to watch her friend attempt to teach the Doctor to dance while Jack looked around at the sheer size of the place.

“Right and turn” the Doctor spins her around, getting her arm all twisted. “Okay, okay, try and spin me again, but this time don't get my arm up my back!” the Doctor looked sheepish “No extra points for a half-nelson”

“I'm sure I used to know this stuff”, the Doctor said rather put out.

“So much for you having moves”, Jenna said walking up and leaning against the console. The Doctor flicks a switch and the engines start up. “Welcome to the TARDIS”, the violet eyed girl said to Jack.

“Much bigger on the inside…” the American remarked.

“You'd better be”, the Doctor said. 

“I think what the Doctor's trying to say is you may cut in”, Rose said taking Jack’s hand as if to dance with him.

“I've just remembered!” the Doctor shouted.

“What?” Rose asked. The music changes to _In The Mood_ , playing out on all the speakers around the console room. The Doctor dances on the spot to it, snapping his fingers.

“I can dance!” he said happily before grabbing Jenna’s hands and pulled her to him. Jack and Rose watched as the pair danced around the console room. The Doctor suddenly dipped the violet eyed girl making her laugh in delight.

The four of them had fun dancing to other songs from different time periods, including the Macarena and Time Warp. Eventually Rose and Jack stopped so that the blonde could show the former Time Agent around the TARDIS. “Seems you do have some good moves after all”, Jenna said leaning against the console.

“Told you”, the Doctor said. 

“That you did”, the brunette agreed “Good night Doctor”.

“Night Jenna”, the Doctor said. Jenna walked away, feeling guilty for not telling him about seeing Naiyah or about receiving another letter from R.S. She hoped that whatever will be revealed ‘soon’ will provide plenty of answers for the numerous questions she had. Also she prayed that it really will be _soon_.


	10. Boom Town

Jenna looked up from where she was sitting on the captain’s chair drawing in her sketch book when she heard a knock at the door. Jack opened the door and stuck his head out. “Who the hell are you?” he demanded

“What do you mean, who the hell am I? Who the hell are you?” Mickey asked equally as rudely.

“Captain Jack Harkness. Whatever you’re selling, we're not buying”, Jack said.

“Get out of my way!” Mickey barged past Jack to enter the TARDIS.

“Hiya Mickey”, Jenna said cheerfully setting aside her sketch book.

“Hey Jenna”, Mickey greeted.

The Doctor paused in his work up in the gantries “Here comes trouble! How're you doing, Ricky boy?” he said cheerfully.

“It's Mickey!” Mickey called up to him before going over to Rose.

“Don't listen to him, he's winding you up”, the blonde said.

“You look fantastic”, Mickey said. He then hugged Rose. 

“Aw, sweet, look at these two”, Jack commented looking at the couple. 

“Feeling left out Jack?” Jenna asked the former Time Agent standing up.

“Just a little”, he admitted. Jack was surprised when Jenna hugged him.

“Better?” she asked stepping back.

“Definitely”, Jack replied not seeing the look the Doctor was giving him from up in the gantry.

Did you manage to find it?” Rose asked Mickey. In response the dark skinned man produced her passport. “I can go anywhere now”, Rose said waving her passport at the Doctor.

“I told you, you don't need a passport”, the Doctor said.

“It's all very well going to Platform One and Justicia and the Glass Pyramid of San Kaloon, but what if we end up in Brazil? I might need it. You see, I'm prepared for anything” Rose sticks her tongue out, smiling.

“Sounds like you’re staying, then”, Mickey said. There was an awkward silence in the TARDIS at that. The Doctor looked between Mickey and Rose curiously. Mickey smiles, attempting to lighten the atmosphere again. “So, what're you doing in Cardiff? And who the hell's Jumping Jack Flash? I mean, I don't mind you hanging out with big-ears up there…”

“Oi!” the Doctor protested.

Jenna bit her lip stifling a giggle. His comment reminded her of what Nancy said about the Doctor’s ears having special powers. “Look in the mirror”, the Doctor shook his head and turned back to his work “But this guy, I don't know, he's kind of…”

“Handsome?” Jack asked grinned.

“More like cheesy”, Mickey said.

“Early twenty first Century slang. Is cheesy good or bad?” Jack asked.

“It's bad”, Jenna told him.

“But bad means good, isn't that right?” Jack questioned.

“Nope”, Jenna said.

The Doctor climbed down the ladder “Are you saying I'm not handsome?” he asked.

“You are in my book”, Jenna replied giving him a smile. It was true, she did find him rather handsome. She wasn’t even put off by the fact that he was several times old than she was nor the fact that he had two hearts. The Doctor was rather pleased by her answer. He was pretty happy that she wasn’t even interested in Jack, openly claiming that the man wasn’t her type.

Rose turned to Mickey “We just stopped off. We need to refuel. The thing is, Cardiff's got this rift running through the middle of the city. It's invisible, but it's like an earthquake fault between different dimensions…”

“The rift was healed back in 1869…” the Doctor added.

“Thanks to a girl named Gwyneth, because these creatures called the Gelth, they were using the rift as a gateway but she saved the world and closed it”, Rose put in.

Mickey looked at them, finding it hard to follow.

“But closing a rift always leaves a scar, and that scar generates energy, harmless to the human race”, Jack continued.

“But perfect for the Tardis, so just park it here for a couple of days right on top of the scar and…” the Doctor said.

“Open up the engines, soak up the radiation…”

“Like filling her up with petrol and off we go!” Jack high-fived Rose.

“Into time!”

“And space!” Jack, Rose and the Doctor said together.

“Whoo!” Rose cheered. Jenna watched their interaction with a smile on her face. Mickey just stared at them in disbelief.

“My God, have you seen yourselves? You all think you're so clever, don't you?” Mickey questioned.

“Yeah!” Jack cheered.

“Yeah!” Rose agreed.

“Yep!” the Doctor said, grinning. Jenna just shook her head at their antics with a smile.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The five of them stepped out of the TARDIS “Should take another twenty four hours, which means we've got time to kill”, the Doctor told them all.

“That old lady's staring”, Mickey said noticing the elderly lady.

“Probably wondering what five people could do inside a small wooden box…” Jack pats the Doctor suggestively on the shoulder. Jenna rolled her eyes at that. _Typical 51 st century guy_.

“What are you captain of? The Innuendo Squad?” Mickey asked. Jack makes the ‘whatever’ sign and walked off. “Wait! Er, the Tardis, we can't just leave it. Doesn't it get noticed?” Mickey asked concerned about leaving the box sitting there.

“Yeah, what's with the police box?” Jack stopped walking and looked back at the TARDIS “Why does it look like that?”

“It's called a chameleon circuit. The Tardis is meant to disguise itself wherever it lands, like if this was Ancient Rome, it'd be a statue on a plinth or something”, Jenna explained.

“But I landed in the 1960s, it disguised itself as a police box, and the circuit got stuck”, the Doctor added.

“So it copied a real thing? There actually was police boxes?” Mickey asked sceptically.

“Yeah, on street corners. Phone for help before they had radios and mobiles. If they arrested someone, they could shove them inside till help came, like a little prison cell”, the Doctor explained.

“Why don't you just fix the circuit?” Jack asked.

“I like it”, the Doctor said “Don’t you?”

“I love it”, Rose said leaning on it.

“Me too”, Jenna agreed.

“But that's what I meant!” Mickey exclaimed “There's no police boxes anymore, so doesn't it get noticed?”

The Doctor smiled recalling when Jenna had asked something similar. Jenna slung an arm around Mickey’s shoulders “Mickey let me tell you something about us humans. You put a mysterious blue box slap bang in the middle of town and what do we do?” she didn’t even wait for Mickey to answer before answering her own question “Walk right past it. The girl removed her arm from around his shoulders and walked off “now let’s go explore!”

The Doctor walked next to Jenna holding her hand “What's the plan?” Rose asked walking slightly behind with Jack and Mickey.

“I don't know. Cardiff, early twenty first century and the wind's coming from the…east. Trust me, safest place in the universe”

\------------------

The Doctor, Rose, Mickey and Jenna listened to Jack’s rather exciting story while they sat relaxing in a café “I swear, six feet tall and with big tusks…”

“You're lying through your teeth”, the Doctor accused.

“I'd have gone bonkers! That's the word, bonkers!” Rose laughed.

“I mean, it turns out the white things are tusks and I mean tusks! And it's woken, and it's not happy…” Jack continued.

“How could you seriously not know it was there?” Jenna asked. 

“And we're standing there, fifteen of us, naked…”

“Naked?!” Rose exclaimed.

“And I'm like, oh, no, no, it's got nothing to do with me! And then it roars, and we are running! Oh my God, we are running! And Brakovitch falls, so I turn to him and I say…”

“I knew we should've turned left!” Mickey shouted taking the punchline from Jack. That had all of them roaring with laughter. A waitress came up to their table holding an envelope

“Excuse me miss are you Jenna?” she asked looking at Jenna.

“Yes I am”, the girl replied.

“This was just left for you”, the waitress said holding out the envelope.

“Thanks”, Jenna said taking it. The envelope was plain white with her name written on it. She knew it was another letter from R.S as it was the same handwriting as the letter that had been left in the locket. She didn’t open it at the table, just simply stuck it in her pocket. “I’ll read it later”, she said to the Doctor. He nodded knowing that she meant they’ll both read it later. The Doctor then noticed the newspaper that the old man at the other table was reading he stood up and took it from the man.

“And I was having such a nice day”, he said showing the others the picture on the front page. Jenna’s eyes widened seeing who it was, Margaret the Slitheen. She was the new mayor of Cardiff.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They strode into Town Hall, Rose and Mickey filling Jack in on who the woman on the newspaper was. “Okay, plan of attack, we assume a basic fifty seven/ fifty six strategy, covering all available exits on the ground floor. Doctor and Jenna, you go face to face. That'll designate Exit One, I'll cover Exit Two. Rose, you Exit Three. Mickey Smith, you take Exit Four”

“Excuse me. Who's in charge?” the Doctor asked.

“Sorry” Jack apologised “Awaiting orders, sir”.

“Right, here's the plan” the Doctor paused realising that Jack’s plan was the only one they had “Like he said. Nice plan. Anything else?”

“Yeah. Slight amendment to the plan”, Jenna said “I’m going to go with Mickey” she had a feeling that he was going to need to have a partner to cover his exit.

“You sure Jenna?” the Doctor asked.

“100%” Jenna answered.

The Doctor nodded “Alright then. You go with Mickey”, he said and then pulled out a phone. Jack, Rose, Mickey and Jenna all produced one as well. They pressed a button of their phones linking them all up as a five way connection.

“See ya in hell”, Jack said giving them a lazy grin before strolling off to the right. Jenna took Mickey off down the corridor on the left while the Doctor and Rose walk straight ahead heading to their designated exits.

“Why did you want to come with me?” Mickey asked as they walked.

“Why not?” Jenna asked “I’ve been with the Doctor, Jack and Rose nearly all day, every day. I fancied a change plus it’ll give us a chance to catch up”.

“So how is it? Travelling with the Doctor?” Mickey questioned.

“It’s interesting”, Jenna replied “never a dull day”. 

“And Rose? Is she safe with the Doctor?” Mikey asked. Jenna didn’t know what to say to that. Thankfully the Doctor’s voice spoke over their phones.

“Slitheen heading north”, the Time Lord reported.

“On my way”, Rose called.

“Over and out”, Jack said.

“On it”, Jenna said into her phone. Mickey and Jenna ran down the corridor, the dark skinned man collided with cleaning trolley sending it flying. Not even bothering to help Mickey, Jenna snatched up a broom and continued on her way. 

Margaret sprinted as fast as she could down the last exit, pulling off her second earring. She smirked thinking that she was home free when….smack! She’d gotten whack to the face by a broom. The disguised Slitheen stumbled back clutching her nose. The next thing she knew. She was on the floor with a violet eyed girl standing over her holding a broom. The girl smiled “hiya”, she said cheerfully. She looked up when she heard a whistle. The Doctor, Jack and Rose was standing there with different expressions on their faces. Rose was stunned, she never knew her best friend had that in her. Jack was very surprised that a girl was able to deck a Slitheen with a broom. The Doctor was both surprised and impressed.

“Nice one Jenna”, the Doctor said as Jack hauled Margaret to her feet.

“Thanks”, Jenna said. She had no idea she had that in her. She wasn’t a violent person by nature. She preferred words over weapons and yet…she attacked the Slitheen female with a broom! What the heck was going on with her?!

“Why can't you leave me alone?” Margaret asked rather put out from being knocked to the floor by a little human girl of all people. “What did I ever do to you?”

“You tried to kill me and destroy this entire planet”, the Doctor stated.

“Apart from that”, Margaret said.

“You killed the real Margaret and are wearing her skin”, Jenna pointed out folding her arms. The female Slitheen didn’t say a word against that statement.

“And here’s Mickey the idiot”, the Doctor said when the young man finally joined them.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The group escorted Margret back into City Hall. Jenna was not surprised to see Naiyah standing by the model of the power station. The blonde Time Lady waved at her cheerfully. “So, you're a Slitheen, you're on Earth, you're trapped. Your family get killed but you teleport out just in the nick of time. You have no means of escape. What do you do? You build a nuclear power station”, the Doctor gestured to the model in the middle of the room. Rose and Jack looked at it interest while Jenna studied it carefully, specifically the bits Naiyah pointed out to her “But what for?”

“A philanthropic gesture. I've learnt the error of my ways”, Margaret replied.

“Liar”, Jenna said turning around “this power station is designed to explode. You stick that on top of the rift….”

“The entire planet would go schwwwupboom!” Jack said making an exploding gesture.

“Which would be pretty bad”, Naiyah agreed.

“Didn't anyone notice? Isn't there someone in London checking this sort of stuff?” Rose asked.

“We're in Cardiff. London doesn't care!” Margaret exclaimed “The South Wales coast could fall into the sea and they wouldn't notice… Oh… I sound like a Welshman. God help me, I've gone native”.

“But why would she do that?” Mickey asked “A great big explosion, she'd only end up killing herself”.

“Oh no she wouldn’t”, Naiyah said in a sing song voice, making Jenna glance at her “look underneath the middle of model”.

“Actually, she wouldn’t kill herself Mickey”, Jenna said before she pried off the middle of the model.

“Is that a tribophysical waveform macro-kinetic extrapolator?” Jack asked eyeing the object in Jenna’s hands.

“Couldn't have put it better myself”, the Doctor said.

“Oo, genius! You didn't build this?” Jack said taking it from Jenna to have a better look.

“I have my hobbies. A little tinkering...”

“No, no, no. I mean, you really didn't build this. Way beyond you”, Jack said waving her off.

“I bet she stole it”, Mickey accused.

“It fell into my hands”, Margaret said defensively.

“Same thing”, Jenna pointed out.

“Is it a weapon?” Rose asked, worried.

“No. it’s a transport”, the violet eyed girl said as Jack put it on the floor “the extrapolator protects you with a force field so when the power station explodes, you’d be safe. You can ride the resulting shock wave all the way out of the solar system”, Jenna explained.

“It's a surfboard!” Mickey exclaimed.

“A pan-dimensional surfboard, yeah”, Jack agreed.

“And it would've worked. I’d have surfed away from this dead end dump and back to civilisation”, Margaret said bitterly.

“You'd blow up a whole planet just to get a lift?” Mickey asked incredulous.

“Like stepping on an anthill”, Margaret shrugged.

“How'd you think of the name?” The Doctor asked drawing their attention to the banner.

“What, Blaidd Drwg? It's Welsh”, Margaret answered.

“I know, but how did you think of it?” the Time Lord pressed.

“I chose it at random, that's all. I don't know. It just sounded good”, Margaret said, not quite understanding why he was pressing the matter “Does it matter?”

“Blaidd Drwg”, the Doctor muttered frowning at the banner. He knew what that meant, it was a phrase he’d heard and seen several times before.

“What's it mean?” Rose asked.

“Bad Wolf”, the Doctor answered.

“But I've heard that before. Bad Wolf. I've heard that lots of times…” Rose said, worriedly.

“Everywhere we go. Two words following us. Bad Wolf”, the Doctor continued.

“How can they be following us?” Jenna asked worried. It was a little concerning hearing those words no matter where they went. The Doctor glanced at Jenna’s worried face.

“It’s just a coincidence”, he assured her “Like hearing a word on the radio then hearing it all day”.

“Never ignore a coincidence”, Jenna told him “unless you’re busy then always ignore a coincidence”.

“Never a truer word spoken”, Naiyah remarked “and you shouldn’t be afraid of ‘Bad Wolf’ it’s a good thing, not bad”. Jenna went to ask her what that meant when the Time Lady vanished. _Great. Yet another question to add to the list of a hundred questions I already have_ the brunette mentally grumbled.

“Well we are busy. Things to do” the Doctor claps his hand together and turned to Margaret “Margaret, we're going to take you home”.

“Hold on, isn't that the easy option, like letting her go?” Mickey asked.

“Wait does that mean we’re going to the Slitheen’s home planet?” Rose questioned, excitedly “oh, what was the name…” she frowned, trying to remember.

“Raxacoricofallapatorius”, Jenna supplied.

“Yes! That’s it!” Rose said gleefully.

“They have the death penalty”, Margaret stated, wiping the joy from the blonde’s face. 

\-------------------------

Margaret looked around the console room of the TARDIS in wonder. “This ship is impossible!” she exclaimed “It's superb. How do you get the outside around the inside?”

“As if we’d tell you”, Jenna replied as Jack sat on the floor with the extrapolator, starting to wire it up to the console.

“I almost feel better about being defeated. I never stood a chance. This is the technology of the gods”, Margaret remarked.

“Don't worship me, I'd make a very bad god”, The Doctor told her “You wouldn't get a day off, for starters…” he turned to the American who was still connecting up the extrapolator “Jack, how we doing, big fella?”

“This extrapolator's top of the range” Jack peers around at Margret “Where did you get it?”

“Oh, I don't know… Some airlock sale…?” Margret said vaguely.

“Meaning you stole it”, Jenna corrected.

“Must've been a great big heist. It's stacked with power”, Jack remarked.

“But we can use it for fuel?” the Doctor asked.

“It's not compatible…but it should knock off about twelve hours”, Jack replied “We'll be ready to go by morning”.

“Then we're stuck here. Overnight”, the Doctor stated. He wasn’t too happy about having Margaret in the TARDIS overnight especially with Jenna present but he didn’t have a choice.

“I'm in no hurry…”

“We've got a prisoner! The police box is really… a police box”, Rose said sounding rather excited about that.

Margaret smiled at them unpleasantly “You're not just police, though. Since you're taking me to my death that makes you my executioners. Each and every one of you…”

“Well, you deserve it”, Mickey said coldly. 

“You're very quick to say so. You're very quick to soak your hands in my blood, which makes you better than me, how, exactly…?” Mickey didn’t have an answer for that “Long night ahead…” she said walking around the console to sit on the captain’s chair, under the watchful eye of the Doctor. Jenna also watched her knowing that the Slitheen had to be watched at all times. “Let's see who can look me in the eye”.

Margaret fixes Mickey with a calm, collected gaze. He managed to hold it for a few seconds before adverting his eyes. Margret then looks at Rose, who glances guiltily at the Doctor. The Time Lord glanced up from the console briefly before going back to his work. Margaret looked at Jenna who held her gaze easily. It was the Slitheen who had to advert her eyes as she felt uneasy under those violet eyes.

\-------------

Jenna continued to watch Margret even after Rose and Mickey left. “I gather it's not always like this…having to wait. I bet you're always the first to leave, Doctor. Never mind the consequences, off you go. You butchered my family and then ran for the stars, am I right? But not this time. At last you have consequences… How does it feel?”

“I didn't butcher them”, the Doctor calmly replied. Jenna moved to stand next to him knowing that her words bothered him.

“Don't answer back. That's what she wants”, she told him quietly. “So how come you survived Maggie?” Jenna asked her.

“Emergency teleport”, Margaret answered. 

“If you had a teleport why didn’t you zap the rest of your family to safety with you?” the Doctor questioned.

“It only carries one. I had to fly without coordinates. I ended up on a skip in the Isle of Dogs”, Margaret explained. The Doctor, Jack and Jenna sniggered at that. “It wasn't funny”, Margaret said sharply.

“Nope Maggie. It’s hilarious”, Jenna countered, still laughing. 

“Do I get a last request?” Margret asked when the three of them finally calmed down.

“Depends what it is”, the Doctor said.

“I grew quite fond of my little human life. All those rituals. The brushing of the teeth, and the complicated way they… cook things. There's a little restaurant just round the Bay. It became quite a favourite of mine”, Margaret informed them.

“Is that what you want, a last meal?” the Doctor asked.

“Don't I have rights?” Margaret retorted.

“Oh, like she's not going to try to escape”, Jack said.

“Except I can never escape the Doctor, so where's the danger?” Margret said bitterly “I wonder if you could do it? To sit with a creature you're about to kill and take supper. How strong is your stomach?”

“Strong enough”, the Doctor said.

“I wonder. I've seen you fight your enemies… now dine with them”, Margaret challenged.

“You won't change my mind”, The Doctor told her.

“Prove it”, Margaret countered.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jenna trailed behind the Doctor and Margaret as they headed the restaurant. The Doctor would’ve preferred if she stayed in the TARDIS but she was adamant about coming with him. The girl sat by him while Margaret sat opposite. “Here we are, out on a date, and you haven't even asked my proper name”, the Slitheen said as they studied the menus.

“It's not a date”, the Doctor said quickly “What's your name?” he asked Margaret.

“Blon. I am Blon Fel Fotch Pasameer-Day Slitheen. That's what it'll say on my death certificate”, Margaret answered.

“That’s kind of a mouthful. I’m just gonna stick to Maggie”, Jenna said lowering her menu. Margaret put hers down and looks out of the window.

“Look…that's where I was living as Margaret” the Doctor and Jenna turned around to follow her gaze “Nice little flat, over there, on the top. Next to the one with the light on”

Behind their backs, Margaret opened her ring and tipped some powder into Jenna’s wine glass. “Two bedrooms… bayside view…” the Doctor and Jenna turned back around to face her “I was rather content. Don't suppose I'll see it again”.

“Suppose not”, the Doctor said as he swapped Margaret’s and Jenna’s glasses over. Margret was less than pleased while Jenna was glad he’d noticed that the Slitheen had done something to her drink. The Doctor returned his attention to the menu while Jenna kept her focus on Margaret.

“Thank you”, Margaret said sarcastically.

“Pleasure”, the Doctor replied matching her sarcasm.

“Tell me then what do you know of our species?” Margaret asked the Doctor.

“Only what I've seen”, the Doctor replied.

“Did you know, for example…in extreme cases…when her life is in danger… a female Raxacoricofallapatorian can manufacture a poison dart within her own finger…” Margaret suddenly points her finger at Jenna and a dart flies out which is snatched out of the air by the Doctor.

“Yes, I did”, he said pocketing the dart.

“Just checking”, Margaret said pleasantly looking at the shaken up girl “And one more thing…between you and me...” Margaret cast a look around the restaurant before leaning in. “As a final resort”, she whispered “the excess poison can be exhaled through the lungs” the Slitheen breathed green gas out of her mouth. Without even flinching, the Doctor whipped out a bottle of breath spray and gives her mouth a squirt.

“That's better”, the Doctor said relaxing in his seat taking Jenna’s hand and rubbing his thumb in circles on the back of it to calm her down. He knew she’d been shaken up by what Margaret had done as she hadn’t gotten a feeling about it unlike before when she found the extrapolator under the model. “Now then, what do you think?” he asked her showing her the menu, still holding her hand.

“How about Steak and chips?” Jenna suggested feeling calmer from the Doctor’s touch.

“Sounds good to me”, the Doctor agreed.

\------------------------------

Margaret watched Jenna pinching chips off of the Doctor’s plate. “Stop taking my chips”, he said not really annoyed with her doing it. Jenna smiled at him before taking another one. She then put some of hers on to his plate. The Slitheen decided to plead her case to them both. 

“Public execution's a slow death. They prepare a thin acetic acid…lower me into the cauldron and boil me…” Jenna pushed her plate away completely put off her food. “The acidity is perfectly gauged to strip away the skin. Internal organs fall out into the liquid, and I become soup. And still alive, still screaming”

“Excuse me”, Jenna said getting up and running to the bathroom. She was hoping to get there before throwing up. The girl was pretty grossed out by Margaret had just said.

“I don't make the law”, the Doctor said turning to face Margaret after watching Jenna run off.

“But you deliver it. Will you stay to watch?” the Slitheen asked.

“What else can I do?” the Doctor countered.

“The Slitheen family's huge. There's a lot more of us, all scattered off-world. Take me to them. Take me somewhere safe”, Margaret pleaded.

“But then you'll just start again”, the Doctor said.

“I promise I won't”, Margaret whispered.

“You've been in that skin suit too long. You've forgotten”, the Doctor said “like Jenna said earlier, you’re using the skin of the real Margaret Blaine. You're pleading for mercy out of a dead woman's lips”.

“Perhaps I have got used to it. A human life, an ordinary life. That's all I'm asking” the Doctor fixes her under his gaze “Give me a chance, Doctor. I can change”.

“I don't believe you”, he said before looking back over in the direction Jenna had run off as the girl still hadn’t come back. The Doctor wondered if he should go and make sure she was ok. Margaret wasn’t going to give up persuading him to let her go.

“I promise you I've changed since we last met, Doctor. There was this girl… just today… a young thing, something of a danger. She was getting too close. I felt the blood lust rising, just as the family taught me, I was going to kill her without a thought. And then…I stopped. She's alive somewhere right now. She's walking around this city because I can change. I did change. I know I can't prove it…” 

“I believe you”, the Doctor said calmly. There probably was a girl out there alive because of Margaret’s choice to let her live. But that wasn’t the human girl on his mind right now, a certain violet eyed one was. Jenna was currently running full pelt down the stairs to get to the TARDIS. She knew she had to get there as quick as possible. She heard a low rumbling as she ran. Jenna cursed under her breath and pushed herself to go faster.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Jack! Remove the extrapolator now!” Jenna shouted as she entered the TARDIS.

“Why?” the American asked.

“Just do it!” the girl ordered. Jack darted over to the now flashing extrapolator and started to tear out the wires connecting it to the console, Jenna helping him. They both flinched from sparks coming from the console. 

Moments later the Doctor ran in dragging Margaret behind him. The entire console room was now shuddering and lights were blinking. “It just went crazy!” Jack yelled at the Doctor.

“I tried to stop it but I was too slow”, Jenna said as the Doctor ran to the console.

“It's the rift! Time and space are ripping apart. The whole city's going to disappear!” the Doctor shouted. They all jumped from the small explosions erupted from the console. Jenna decided to stand back to allow Jack and the Doctor to work on trying to stop the Rift from destroying the city. She was too focused on watching the men that she’d completely forgotten about Margaret who’d sidled up.

“Never mind Cardiff, it's going to rip open the planet!” the Doctor exclaimed.

Rose then entered the shaking TARDIS “What is it? What's happening?!” she exclaimed.

“Oh, just little me”, Margaret said gleefully freeing one of her arms from her skin suit and grabbed Jenna by the neck with her claw. “One wrong move and she snaps like a promise”, she threatened when the Doctor darted forward.

“I might've known”, the Doctor said glaring at the Slitheen holding Jenna hostage.

“I've had you bleating all night, poor baby, now shut it” Margaret turned to Jack “You, fly boy, put the extrapolator at my feet”, she ordered.

“Don’t”, Jenna choked out causing Margaret to tighten her grip on her neck. Jack looked at the Doctor for help and he nods. Jack places the extrapolator near her feet.

“Thank you. Just as I planned”

“I thought you needed to blow up the nuclear power station”, Rose said recalling what Jenna told them earlier at City Hall.

“Failing that, if I were to be… arrested…then anyone capable of tracking me down would have considerable technology of their own. Therefore, they would be captivated by the extrapolator. Especially a magpie mind like yours, Doctor. So the extrapolator was programmed to go to plan B!” Margaret roughly tugged on Jenna’s pony tail making her wince and making the Doctor angrier. He couldn’t lose his temper. If he did, Margaret would kill Jenna. “To lock onto the nearest alien power source and open the rift” she looks around the TARDIS in awe “And what a power source it found… I'm back on schedule… thanks to you”

“The rift's going to convulse. You'll destroy the whole planet”, the Doctor said angrily.

“And you with it!” Margaret stepped onto the extrapolator still holding Jenna by the neck “While I ride this board over the crest of the inferno all the way to freedom. Stand back, boys… Surf's up”

The panel in front of Margaret suddenly bursts open and a blinding light floods out. Margaret looks at in surprise and then up at the Doctor who was on the other side of the console.

“Of course, opening the rift means you'll pull this ship apart”, The Doctor said suddenly very calm.

“So sue me”, Margaret spat.

“It's not just any old power source. It's the Tardis. My TARDIS. The best ship in the universe”, the Time Lord continued.

“It'll make wonderful scrap”, Margaret said nastily.

“What's that light?” Rose asked noticing it from her spot by the TARDIS doors.

“The heart of the TARDIS. This ship's alive. You've opened its soul”, the Doctor explained.

Breathing heavily, Margaret stares into the light as if forgetting everything else. She isn’t the only one transfixed by it, Jenna was looking at it as well. She couldn’t help not to, it was beautiful as was the soft music she could hear coming from it.

Margaret’s grip loosened on Jenna neck allowing her to move away. Rose went over and led her friend away from Margaret. The violet eyed girl’s eyes were still fixed on the light. They all watched as the Slitheen was engulfed by the light, the empty body suit crumples onto the extrapolator.

“Don't look”, the Doctor said he started to dart around the console. Jack did so and Rose was about to when she noticed her friend was still looking at the light, transfixed. She turned her around, covered Jenna’s eyes and closed her own. The Doctor slammed several levers down to close the slightly open panel, shutting out the light.

“Now, Jack, come on, shut it all down. Shut down!” Jack rushes over to the console to help him while Rose kept Jenna facing the other way. The TARDIS finally stopped shuddering. “Nicely done”

“What happened to Margaret?” Rose asked turning around. Jenna went around to where Margaret’s skin suit and knelt down.

“She became an egg”, she replied gingerly picking it up from the suit “Margaret the Slitheen gets a second chance”.


	11. Bad Wolf

Jenna groaned as she regained consciousness. She opened her eyes to see a dark skinned man crouching beside her. “What happened?” she asked blearily as she sat up.

“It's all right… It's the transmat”, the man, Roderick said gently “Does your head in” Jenna had a look around at her surroundings with a frown on her face. “Get a bit of amnesia. What's your name?”

“Jenna”, Jenna answered.

“Just remember do what the android says. Don't provoke it. The android's word is law”, Roderick said firmly.

“What do you mean, android? Like a robot?” Jenna asked before Roderick could answer, a woman started calling out instructions.

“Positions, everyone! Thank you!”

Roderick helped Jenna to her feet “I was travelling” she said starting to remember “with the Doctor, Jack and my friend Rose” she looked around and didn’t see them “where are they?”

“That's enough chat! Positions! Final call!” the woman with the clip board called out standing next to an inactive robot. 6 podiums surround the raised podium the robot was on. The set up looked very familiar to her.

“I'm not supposed to be here”, Jenna said to the man.

“It says Jenna on the podium”, the man said. Jenna’s eyes widened as sure enough her name lit up on one of the podiums. “Come on!” the man said before dashing to stand behind a podium with the name Roderick on it. Jenna went over and stood behind her own podium. She looked around and it finally clicked, she knew exactly where she was.

It was confirmed when the android raised its head after being activated and said “Welcome to The Weakest Link!”

Jenna knew there was no point panicking, she’d just do as best as she could and hope that the Doctor could find her. “…Three, and cue!”

“Let's play ‘The Weakest Link’” Music played. “Start the clock. Agorax, the name of which basic food stuff is an anagram of the word 'beard'?

“Bread”, Agorax replied.

“Correct. Fitch in the Pan Traffic Calendar, which month comes after Hoob?”

“Is it Clavadoe?” Fitch guessed.

“No, Pandoff. Jenna, in maths, what is 258 minus 158?”

“One hundred”, Jenna replied.

“Correct. Rodrick”

“Bank”, Roderick said quickly before Anne Droid asked the question.

“Which letter of the alphabet appears in the word dangle but not in the word gland?”

“E”, Roderick answered easily.

“Correct. Colleen, in social security, what D is the name of the payment given to Martian Drones?”

“Default”, Colleen said.

“Correct. Broff, the Great Cobalt Pyramid is built on the remains of which famous Old Earth Institute?”

“Er…Touchdown”, Broff said a little uncertain.

“No, Torchwood. Agorax, in language, all five examples of which type of letter appear in the word facetious?”

“Vowels”

“Correct. Fitch, in biology, which blood cells contain iron? Red or white?”

“Um…White” _I knew that one_ Jenna thought. She wondered why Fitch looked so down when she got the question wrong. It was only a game after all.

“No, red. Jenna, in the holovid series 'Jupiter Rising', the Grexnik is married to whom?”

“I haven’t the foggiest”, Jenna replied shrugging.

“No, the correct answer is Lord Drayvole”

On the highest level a woman was watching Jenna with a frown on her face “why isn’t she bothered by getting those questions wrong?”

“Rodrick, in maths, what is nine squared?” the Anne Droid asked.

“Oh, my God… I don't think she knows…” the woman said worried at how laid back Jenna was. Pavale, a male programmer looked over her shoulder.

“And I've got a housemate who appeared out of nowhere. I told you, it's like the game's running itself”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So, Jenna, what do you actually do?” Anne Droid asked while everyone decided who they thought was the Weakest Link.

“I’m travelling at the moment”, the girl replied.

“Another way of saying unemployed”

“No”, Jenna said.

“Have you got a job?” Anne Droid questioned.

“Not at the moment. I’ve…” the brunette was cut off by the Anne Droid.

“Then you are unemployed! Why Fitch?”

“She got a few questions wrong”, Jenna said.

“Oh, you'd know all about that”

“Well, yeah, but I can't vote for myself, so it had to be Fitch…” Jenna looks at Fitch who was sobbing quietly “I'm sorry…that's the game. That's how it works…I had to vote for someone” she didn’t understand why Fitch was so upset.

“Let me try again. It was the lights and everything. I couldn't think”, Fitch said to the Anne Droid. Jenna could see that she was terrified. But why? It was just a game after all. It wasn’t life or death.

“In fact, with three answers wrong, Broff was the weakest link in that round, but its votes that count”

“I'm sorry. Oh please… Oh God, help me!” Fitch begged. She looked around at her fellow constants for help they couldn’t give. Roderick looked away while Broff sobbed into his board he was holding up.

“Fitch you are the weakest link. Goodbye!” the Anne Droid’s mouth opened to reveal a gun which fired a gold laser at Fitch. Jenna stared at the spot where the woman once stood shocked. She hadn’t seen that coming. If only she’d acted, Fitch might’ve been alive right now. Jenna turned to Roderick wanting answers.

“What the hell has just happened?” Jenna demanded.

“She was the weakest link, she gets disintegrated”, he informed her calmly wiping his board clean. He didn’t even look the least bit upset that someone had just been killed in front of him.

“But I voted for her”, Jenna said quietly “I can’t play this. I won’t”. She turned to go when Broff jumped off his own podium and tried to make a run for it and was promptly disintegrated.

“Don't try to escape. It's play… or die”, Jenna stayed where she was. She had no choice, she had to play the game.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next round Colleen was disintegrated. “Colleen was clever. She banked all our money. Why'd you vote for her?” Jenna asked cleaning off her board.

“’cos I want to keep you in. You're stupid! You don't even know the Princess Vossaheen's surname. When it comes to the final, I want to be up against you, so that you get disintegrated and I get a stack load of credits courtesy of the Bad Wolf Corporation”

Jenna stiffened hearing that “Bad Wolf again”, she said quietly. It seemed that those two words were more than just a coincidence. _Maybe I’m not here by mistake_ she thought _someone’s been planning this._

\-----------------

By the end of the third round it saw Agorax getting disintegrated. That left Jenna and Roderick in the head to head. “Right, that's the end of _tactical_ voting” Roderick said wiping off his board “You're on your own now.

 _Trust your instincts_ a small voice in Jenna’s head whispered. “I can do this”, she said quietly to herself.

“Jenna, in geography, the Grand Central Ravine is named after which ancient British city?” Anne Droid asked Jenna. This was her first question in the head to head. Roderick already got one question right.

“York”

“No, the correct answer is Sheffield. Rodrick, in literature, the author of ‘Lucky’ was Jackie who?”

“Stewart”, Rodrick answered.

“No, the correct answer is Collins. Jenna, the oldest inhabitant of the Isop Galaxy is the Face of what?”

“Boe” Jenna said. She wasn’t despondent about getting her first question wrong. There was still a few questions to go.

“That is the correct answer. Rodrick, in history, who was the President of the Red Velvets?”

“Hoshbin Frane”

“That is the correct answer” Roderick was one up on Jenna “Jenna, in food, the dish Gaffabeque originated on which planet?”

“Mars?” Jenna guessed.

“No, the correct answer is Lucifer. Rodrick, which measurement of length is said to have been defined by the Emperor Jate as the distance from his nose to his fingertip?”

“Would that be a goffle?” Rodrick queried, unsure of the answer.

“No, the correct answer is a paab. Jenna, in fashion, Stella Pok Baint is famous for what?”

 _Trust yourself._ Jenna opened her mouth and said the first thing that came to mind. “Hats”

“That is the correct answer”

Jenna and Roderick were now tied in the head to head. “Rodrick, in physics, who discovered the Fifteen Dash Ten Barric Fields?”

“San Chen”, Roderick replied.

“That is the correct answer” Jenna knew she had to get the next one right or she was going to be disintegrated.

“Jenna, in history, which Icelandic city hosted Murder Spree Twenty?”

Jenna stared at the Anne Droid who just stared back at her. “Reykjavik”

“No, the correct answer is Pola Ventura”

Jenna closed her eyes and dropped her head. It was the first answer that came out of her mouth. _So much for trusting my instincts._

“Rodrick, you are the strongest link, you will be transported home with one thousand six hundred credits”

“Oh, thank you, thank you so much”, Roderick practically gushed.

“Jenna!” the teen heard the Doctor shout. She turned her head to see the Doctor, Rose and Jack running in.

“Stop this game!” Jack ordered the woman with the clip board, the floor manager.

“Jenna, you leave this life with nothing…” Anna Droid said but Jenna was focused on her friends that were on the set but too far away.

“Stop this game!” Jack shouted. 

“I order you to stop this game!” the Doctor yelled.

“We’re live on air!” the floor manager shouted at him.

The Doctor runs across the large room as fast as he could. Jenna runs towards him, shoving a podium aside. “You are the weakest link” the Anne Droid said behind her.

“Look out for the Anne Droid, it's armed!” Jenna shouts. When she’s mere feet away from the Doctor, she is shot in the back by the Anne Droid. Jack, Rose and the Doctor stared in shock as their friend was disintegrated in front of them. 

“What the hell did you do to her?” Jack shouted furious striding towards the set. Rose stood there shocked about what had just happened. The Doctor knelt by the pile of dust that used to be Jenna feeling numb from shock. He was so close. If he’d only he had been quicker she might be alive right now. But she wasn’t because he was too slow. He was never going to see Jenna again. Never hear her laugh…see her smile…. never be able to watch her draw.

~spaceship~

Jenna opened her eyes to find herself somewhere else. She slowly sat up, glad that she was alive. Her relief was short lived when she was an all too familiar alien. “That’s impossible…” she breathed. Jenna scrambled backwards as it trundled towards her “You’re dead…I saw you die!” she cried.

\-------------------

Jenna sat on the floor, back against the wall staring at the Daleks. She couldn’t believe that there were more. _My letter never gave me a heads up about this_ she thought, recalling about the one she’d gotten during her stay at Cardiff. The girl would’ve cried in relief when one Dalek announced that the Doctor had located them. Jenna was forced to her feet a large screen popped up.

On floor 500 the Doctor was glaring at the 3 Dalek’s flanking Jenna with distaste. “I will talk to the Doctor”

“Oh, will you? That's nice. Hello!” he waved at them mockingly.

“The Dalek stratagem nears completion. The fleet is almost ready. You will not intervene”

“Oh, really? Why's that, then?” the Doctor asked.

“We have your associate. You will obey or she will be exterminated”

“No”, the Time Lord said firmly. Everyone looked at the Doctor surprised by his answer. Even Jenna stared in surprised. She did not expect that.

“Explain yourself”

“I said no”, the Doctor repeated.

“What is the meaning of this negative?”

“It means no”, the Doctor stated.

“But she will be destroyed”

The Doctor stood up “No! ‘Cos this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to rescue her” Jenna looked at him on the screen, a small smile creeping on her face. “I'm going to save Jenna Smith from the middle of the Dalek fleet. And then I'm going to save the Earth, and then, just to finish off, I'm going to wipe every last stinking Dalek out of the sky!”

Jenna grinned hearing the passion in his voice. She shouldn’t have doubted him for even a second. He was never going to leave her with the Daleks. “But you have no weapons, no defences, no plan”

“Yeah. And doesn't that scare you to death. Jenna?”

“Yes, Doctor?” Jenna said eagerly. 

“I'm coming to get you” the Doctor promised, raising his sonic screwdriver ending the transmission.

“The Doctor is initiating hostile action!”

“The stratagem must advance. Begin the invasion of Earth!”

Jenna was startled when they started to spin around wildly.

“The Doctor will be exterminated!” one declared. 


	12. Parting of the ways

One of the Daleks rounded on Jenna “You know the Doctor. You understand him. You will predict his actions”

“Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you”, Jenna said.

“Predict! Predict! Predict!” the Dalek demanded sounding hysterical.

“No”, she said firmly.

“TARDIS detected in flight”, a second Dalek said.

“Launch missiles! Exterminate!”

Jenna clutched the gold locket at those words, hoping that the next words she heard wasn’t the TARDIS is destroyed. She smiled when she heard the sound of the TARDIS. Her smile grew wider when she saw the faint outline of the blue box slowly appearing around her. Unfortunately she wasn’t the only one the TARDIS materialised around, it appeared around the Dalek that was right next to her.

“Jenna, get down!” the Doctor shouted at her. Jenna immediately dropped to the grilled floor.

“Exterminate!” the Dalek shouted firing its laser. It completely misses which enables Jack to take it out with the modified Defabricator.

The Doctor hugged Jenna tightly when she got to her feet “I told you I'd come and get you”, he said.

“Yes you did”, she said smiling at him.

“You alright?” he asked her.

“I am now”, she replied.

“Hey, don't I get a hug?” Jack asked with a mock pout.

“Of course you do”, Jenna said going over and hugged him. “Where’s Rose?” she asked seeing that the blonde wasn’t there.

“She’s waiting for us on floor 500”, the Doctor replied.

Jenna frowned “Floor 500?” she asked “You mean we were on Satellite 5?”

“Yep”, the Doctor replied. “Shall we go meet the neighbours then?” without waiting for a reply, the Doctor left the TARDIS. Jenna ran after him knowing that he would be shot on sight. She was surprised when the Dalek rays were stopped by a force field that surrounded the blue box. 

The Doctor took several steps forward while Jack and Jenna hung back “Do you know what they call me in the ancient legends of the Dalek Homeworld? The Oncoming Storm. You might've removed all your emotions…but I reckon right down deep in your DNA, there's one little spark left, and that's fear” the Dalek’s eye stalks twitch nervously “Doesn't it just burn when you face me? So tell me. How did you survive the Time War?”

“They survived through me”

The Doctor turned towards the voice and was startled when Dalek Emperor was illuminated, towering above all of them. “Jenna… Captain…this is the Emperor of the Daleks”, the Doctor said staring at the Emperor in awe.

“You destroyed us, Doctor. The Dalek race died in your inferno, but my ship survived, falling through time, crippled but alive”

“I get it”, the Doctor said.

“Do not interrupt!”

“Do not interrupt!”

“Do not interrupt!”

“I think you’re forgetting on very crucial thing” Jenna said as she walked forward to stand next to the Doctor “He’s the Doctor and if there is one thing I know he can do for certain, is talk. He knows…”

“5 billion languages”, the Doctor told her quietly.

“5 billion languages”, Jenna repeated loudly “and you don’t have a single way of stopping him. So if anyone is going to shut up, it’s you!”

The Doctor grinned when the Daleks rolled back slightly from her words. “Okey doke. So, where were we?” the Doctor asked turning back to the Emperor.

“We waited here in the dark space, damaged but rebuilding. Centuries passed, and we quietly infiltrated the systems of Earth, harvesting the waste of humanity. The prisoners, the refugees, the dispossessed. They all came to us. The bodies were filtered, pulped, sifted. The seed of the human race is perverted. Only one cell in a billion was fit to be nurtured”

“So you created an army of Daleks out of the dead”, the Doctor stated.

“That makes them half human”, Jack said.

“Those words are blasphemy”, the Emperor declared.

“Do not blaspheme”

“Do not blaspheme”

“Do not blaspheme”

“Everything human has been purged. I cultivated pure and blessed Dalek”

“Since when did the Daleks have a concept of blasphemy?” Jenna asked.

“I reached into the dirt and made new life. I am the God of all Daleks!”

“Worship him! Worship him! Worship him!”

“They're insane! Hiding in silence for hundreds of years, that's enough to drive anyone mad”, the Doctor said quietly to Jenna and Jack. He looked at the Daleks with pity as he walked forward “But it's worse than that. Driven mad by your own flesh. The stink of humanity” the Doctor shook his head “You hate your own existence. And that makes them more deadly than ever. We're going”

The Doctor turned around and went back to where Jenna and Jack stood. He took the girl’s hand and walked back to the TARDIS looking back at the Dalek Emperor once.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The moment Jenna stepped out of the TARDIS she was almost knocked off her feet when Rose hugged her. “I’m ok Rose. I’m ok”, she assured her as the blonde broke down in tears. While Jenna consoled her best friend, the Doctor had everyone else turning everything up to stop the Daleks transmatting on board.

“I thought I’d lost you to the Dalek’s again”, Rose sobbed. Jenna pulled back to look at her tear stained face.

“Well you haven’t. Van Statten’s Dalek didn’t get me and neither did those Dalek’s on that ship”, Jenna said wiping her tears away “I’m not going anywhere Rose and that’s a promise” she stepped back and held up her hand. Rose smiled and held up her hand. The two girls did their secret handshake that they invented when they were little.

The girls looked over when the Doctor started ripping wires out of the desks. “Dalek plan. Big mistake, because what have they left me with? Anyone? Anyone?” the Doctor looked at them all expecting someone to answer him. “Oh, come on, it's obvious. A great big transmitter, this station”

Jack stared at him trying to work it out “If I can change the signal, fold it back, sequence it, anyone?”

“You've got to be kidding”, he said finally figuring it out.

“Give the man a medal!” the Doctor cheered.

“A Delta Wave?” Jack said incredulous.

“A Delta Wave!” the Doctor said rather excitedly.

“What's a Delta Wave?” Rose asked. 

“A wave of Van Cassadyne energy. It fries your brain. Stand in the way of a Delta Wave and your head gets barbequed”, Jack explained.

“And this place can transmit a massive wave. Wipe out the Daleks!” the Doctor added.

“Well, get started and do it then”, Lynda said interrupting whatever Rose was going to say.

“Trouble is, wave this size, building this big, brain as clever as mine, should take about, ooh, 3 days?” the Doctor said quickly working it out “How long till the Fleet arrive?”

“Twenty two minutes”, Pavale replied.

“Doctor could I talk to you?” Jenna asked. She didn’t wait for an answer before walking away “you need use the TARDIS to send Rose home”, she said when the Doctor joined her.

“Why?” the Doctor asked.

“I have a feeling that no one is going to survive this”, she replied.

“How sure are you?” the Doctor questioned.

“Very”, Jenna answered “Doctor, I just want Rose safe. She’s my best friend”.

The Doctor nodded “it’s half a good idea”, he said.

Jenna frowned “half?”

“Yes. If Rose is going to be sent home, so are you”, the Doctor told her.

“But Doc…” Jenna started when the Time Lord cut in

“Please don’t argue with me. I want you safe too, Jenna. How do I send you both home?” Jenna glanced at Rose who was standing next to Jack. She looked back at the Doctor and told him how. “Thank you”, the Doctor said kissing her forehead.

He knew it was difficult for her to tell him especially when he wanted to send her home too. He hung back while Jenna went over to Rose. The Doctor watched her say something to the blonde before Jenna took her over to the TARDIS and opened the door. He followed them in. “What are you doing Jenna?” he asked, knowing to play along.

“I don’t know, just a feeling I’ve got”, she calmly replied giving him a smile “right Rose I need you to hold this lever down and keep position”, Jenna instructed.

“What's it do?” Rose asked pulling the lever down and the violet eyed girl shrugged.

“It cancels out the buffers”, the Doctor answered for her. Jenna went over to another lever and pulled it. She gave the Doctor a minute nod and he left the TARDIS, the door shutting behind him.

“Uh Jenna? It’s moving”, Rose said worriedly as the engines groaned and the rotor starts to rise and fall.

“That’s not supposed to happen”, Jenna said pretending surprise. Rose stared at her wide eyed even though it was her feeling ‘thing’, Jenna didn’t know that was going to happen. She abandoned the lever rushed to the TARDIS doors. “Doctor, let us out!” the blonde shouted. Jenna watched Rose hammer on the door, yelling.

“Let us out!”

She tapped Rose on the shoulder when she saw a hologram of the Doctor appear. “This is Emergency Programme One. Rose, Jenna now listen, this is important. If this message is activated, then it can only mean one thing. We must be in danger. And I mean fatal. I'm dead or about to die any second with no chance of escape”

“No!” Rose cried.

“And that's okay. Hope it's a good death. But I promised to look after you, and that's what I'm doing. The TARDIS is taking you home”, the Doctor continued.

“I won't let you”, Rose said getting upset.

“And I bet you're fussing and moaning now. Typical. But hold on and just listen a bit more. The Tardis can never return for me. Emergency Programme One means I'm facing an enemy that should never get their hands on this machine. So this is what you should do. Let the Tardis die. Just let this old box gather dust. No one can open it. No one'll even notice it. Let it become a strange little thing standing on a street corner. And over the years, the world'll move on and the box will be buried. And if you want to remember me, then you can do one thing. That's all, one thing. Have a good life. Do that for me, Rose, Jenna. Have a fantastic life”

The hologram of the Doctor vanished.

“You can't do this to us. You can't. Take us back! Take us back! No!” Rose shouted trying to use the controls but the console doesn’t respond.

“Rose stop”, Jenna said pulling her gently away from the console “there isn’t anything either of us can do. I’m sorry” Rose looked at her surprised that she wasn’t even willing to try get back to the Doctor. She ran out of the TARDIS upset. Jenna closed the door as soon as she left. She hated lying to Rose, tricking her into the TARDIS just to keep her safe but if she didn’t, Rose would never have left.

“Well it’s just you and me now”, she said walking up the ramp. “The Doctor once told us you are alive. Which means you can hear me. I have to go back to Satellite 5. I can’t let him face the Daleks alone”, no answer “please TARDIS” Jenna sighed sadly “I guess this is goodbye. Thanks for all the adventures” she patted the opaque cylinder before heading to the door. She paused with her hand on the door handle when she heard singing fill the air. Jenna turned around and saw the panel that contained the heart of the ship, slowly swung open, golden light spilling out. She went back to the console transfixed by the light.

When she got mere inches away, the gallifreyan locket around her neck opened and the golden light streamed into it. Jenna swayed on the spot before she passed out onto the grilled floor.

\-------------------

The Doctor braced himself for his death when he heard the familiar wheezing of the TARDIS. He stares in shock as the doors fly open to reveal… “Naiyah”, he breathed staring at the Time Lady. She looked like her final regeneration. Blonde hair…violet eyes…beautiful. Well even more beautiful because of the golden glow that surrounded her.

She softly smiled “Hello Doctor”, she greeted.

“How? Y-you died”, the Doctor stammered, reaching out and was very surprised when he managed to touch her face. The Time Lady didn’t say a word. She looked over his shoulder and saw the Daleks.

“Looks like another pickle I’ve got to get you out of”, she remarked “just like old times”. The Time Lady moved around the Doctor to eye the Dalek’s distastefully “I’m going to say this only once. Get back to your ships and get the hell out of this universe!” she ordered.

“Or what?” the Dalek emperor challenged.

“Or I will destroy you and all of your filthy Daleks”, Naiyah said.

The Dalek emperor laughed “You cannot hurt me. I am immortal” the Emperor Dalek declared.

Naiyah raised an eyebrow “YOU are tiny. I can see the whole of time and space. Every single atom of your existence, and I divide them”, she said. She raised her hand raised her hand and the Dalek in front of her disintegrated into golden particles “Everything must come to dust…all things. Everything dies” she looked to the side and the Daleks lined up were also reduced to golden particles “The Time War finally ends”, Naiyah said as the Emperor and his entire mother ship turned into golden particles, dissolving away into oblivion.

“How…did you do that?” the Doctor asked.

“Heart of the TARDIS”, Naiyah replied.

“Is that how you’re here?” the Doctor questioned.

“In part”, the Time Lady answered “my locket also helped”. She looked at the words _Bad Wolf Corporation_. She waved her hand at them and watched the letters rise up and float away. “That’ll lead Jenna here”, she said.

“What is your connection to her?” the Doctor asked, curious.

“That is a long story and I’m afraid we don’t have much time”, Naiyah said, slowly starting to fade.

“Will I ever see you again?” the Doctor asked really hoping that this wasn’t going to be the last time he saw the Time Lady.

“Yes”, Naiyah answered. She then regarded him sadly “I’m going to miss that face”, she said reaching out and very lightly touching his cheek “I always miss them when you change”.

The Doctor’s heart sank, knowing what she meant. She always seemed to know when one of his lives were about to end. “What will I become?” he asked.

Naiyah just gave him a knowing smile “that I can’t tell you. All I can say is that he will be fantastic”, she said before she leant in and gave him the lightest of kisses on his lips, passing a little time vortex to him. “Take care of yourself…and Jenna”, the blonde said and then vanished.

The Doctor went into the TARDIS to find Jenna lying unconscious on the grilled floor. He winced in pain as the regeneration process was starting. _I can’t go. Not yet_ the Doctor thought. It wouldn’t be fair to Jenna if she woke up to find he’d changed as he didn’t know she was already aware about what regeneration meant. Eventually the brown haired girl regained consciousness.

“Doctor? What happened?” Jenna asked sitting up and rubbing her head.

“You don’t remember?” the Doctor asked.

“Not really no”, she replied getting to her feet “I remember a light and singing….”

“That’s right! I sang a song and the Dalek’s ran away”, the Doctor said cheerfully.

Jenna laughed “I wouldn’t be surprised. Music is just noise to Daleks”, she stated.

“Jenna I was going take you and Rose to so many places. Barcelona. Not the city Barcelona, the planet Barcelona. You'd love it. Fantastic place. They've got dogs with no noses” the Doctor laughed at his own joke. Jenna cracked a smile at it too “Imagine how many times a day you end up telling that joke, and it's still funny”

“Then let’s get Rose and go”, Jenna said. 

“Maybe you will. Maybe Rose will. And maybe I will. But not like this”, the Doctor said vaguely.

Jenna’s eyes widened when she realised what he was implying “you’re regenerating”, she said quietly and the Doctor nodded. The girl dropped her head “it’s all my fault. I’m a stupid human”, she said when he grimaced in pain.

“You’re not a stupid human. You’re a brilliant, fantastic human”, he said to her.

“No I’m not”, the brunette insisted.

“Jenna look at me”, the Doctor said “please”, he added when she didn’t raise her head. He smiled at her when she did lift her head. “You understand what that means don’t you? I'm not going to see you again. Not like this. Not with this daft old face”

“I know”, Jenna said trying not to break down. She knew regeneration meant he was going to become a new man. Jenna stepped forward and gently touched his cheek “no matter what happens I’m going to be here for you”, she promised.

The Doctor smiled at her through the pain “Thank you”, he said grateful that she wasn’t going to leave him after he regenerated.

Jenna stumbled back as golden-orange energy exploded from his skin. She stared transfixed as the Time Lord underwent regeneration in front of her. When the light faded, a completely different man was standing there. “Hello! Okay… Ooo” the Doctor stopped and frowned, running his tongue over his teeth “new teeth. That's weird. So, where was I? Oh, that's right. Barcelona” The newly regenerated Doctor grinned at her.


End file.
